DGS data indicate 1,540 covid-19-related deaths and 39,737 confirmed cases since the beginning of the pandemic.

Compared to Monday's data, today there was a 0.4 percent increase in deaths. Infection cases rose 0.9 percent.

In the Lisbon and Tagus Valley region, where the greatest number of outbreaks has been recorded, the covid-19 pandemic reached 17,225 confirmed cases, 299 more than on Monday, which corresponds to 87 percent of new contagions.

Of the total number of infected people in Portugal, 441 are hospitalised, 17 more than on Monday (+ 4 percent). The number of patients admitted to intensive care units remains at 72.

In the distribution of cases infected by counties, Lisbon is the one with the highest number of cases (3,191), followed by Sintra (2,325), Loures (1,680), Vila Nova de Gaia (1,622), Amadora (1,479), Porto (1,414), Matosinhos (1,292), Braga (1,256), Maia (950) and Odivelas (963).

The North region continues to record the highest number of infections (17,329) and deaths (814).

The region of Lisbon and Vale do Tejo registers 17,225 infections and 446 deaths, the Centre region 248 deaths and 4,014 confirmed cases, the Algarve 15 deaths and 536 infected people and the Alentejo two dead and 397 people with covid-19.

The Azores have 144 cases of infection with the new coronavirus SARA-Cov-2 and 15 deaths, while Madeira has 92 people infected and no deaths registered.

Data from the DGS report indicate that, of the total deaths recorded to date, 775 are women and 765 men.

By age group, the highest number of deaths is registered among people aged 80 or over (1,033), followed by the age group between 70 and 79 (298). Among the population aged between 60 and 69 years, there are 140 deaths.

DGS data also recorded 49 deaths in the age group between 50 and 59 years old, 17 between 40 and 49 years old, one between 30 and 39 years old and two between 20 and 29 years old.

Regarding the total number of infection cases, the data show that 22,353 are women and 17,384 men.

The age group most affected by the disease is from 40 to 49 years old (6,659), followed by the age group between 50 and 59 years old (6,345) and people aged between 30 and 39 years old (6,269).

In the youngest age groups, between 20 and 29 years old, there are 5,724 cases and, between 10 and 19 years old, 1,550.

In children up to nine years old there are 1,069 cases, according to data from the Directorate-General for Health.

According to DGS, 38 percent of patients had a cough, 29 percent fever, 21 percent muscle pain, 20 percent headache, 15 percent general weakness and 11 percent breathing difficulty.

A total of 1,759 people are awaiting laboratory test results and 30,248 are under surveillance by health authorities.

Since 1 January, Portugal has registered 366,777 suspected cases, the report said, adding that there are 25,829 people recovered, 281 more than on Monday.

The covid-19 pandemic has already claimed more than 472,000 deaths and infected more than 9.1 million people worldwide.

More than 4.4 million cases have been considered cured by health authorities.

The disease is transmitted by a new coronavirus detected in late December in Wuhan, a city in central China.

After Europe succeeded China as the centre of the pandemic in February, the American continent is now the one with the most confirmed cases and the most deaths.