In global terms, “the occupancy rate is 84% ??in the ward and 81% in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU). In the Northern region, the occupancy rate in the ICU, was 88% and in the ward 89%, being the region experiencing the greatest pressure ”, said Diogo Serras Lopes.

In Lisbon and the Tagus valley, hospital units have a bed occupancy rate both in the ward and in the ICU, where the most serious patients of Covid-19 are, also above 80%, respectively, 84% and 82% of the total.

“The allocation of ward and ICU beds for Covid patients is elastic and there is the capacity to expand as needed,” added the Secretary of State, referring to the articulation of the National Health Service (SNS) with the private sector and with the social sector, recalling the convention signed in April.

Diogo Serras Lopes gave as an example the recent transfer of patients from the Centro Hospitalar de Tâmega e Sousa, one of the hospital units that is under more pressure due to the number of cases of covid-19.

"The Tâmega e Sousa hospital centre, which we know is the most pressing point in this second wave of covid-19, already has facilities that allow it to increase its capacity," he said.

According to the minister, “there has been a great collaboration of all hospitals in the North region, the Armed Forces and the Red Cross in order to be able to help the Tâmega e Sousa hospital center and several patients have already been transferred to other hospitals and services, allowing us to provide a more effective response to additional demand”, he stressed.

On the possibility of the Grand Prix do Algarve de Moto GP, between 20 and 22 November, being cancelled, after cases of infection were detected in members of the Formula One teams who were in Portimão last weekend, Diogo Serras Lopes referred the matter to the Directorate-General for Health, saying only that "the evolution of the pandemic means that all measures and events are permanently evaluated and the best decisions are made".