DGS data indicate 1,543 covid-19-related deaths and 40,104 confirmed cases since the beginning of the pandemic.

In comparison with Tuesday's data, today there was a 0.2 percent increase in deaths. Infection cases rose 0.9 percent.

In the Lisbon and Tagus Valley (LVT) region, where the largest number of outbreaks has been recorded, the covid-19 pandemic reached 17,527 confirmed cases, 302 more than on Tuesday, which corresponds to 82 percent of new contagions.

The region of Lisbon and the Tagus Valley is now the one with the highest number of infections (17,527) and the second with the highest number of deaths (449).

The North records 17,339 infections and 814 deaths, the Centre 4,042 confirmed cases and 248 deaths, the Algarve 15 dead and 552 infected people and the Alentejo two dead and 406 people with covid-19.

The Azores have 146 cases of infection with the new SARA-Cov-2 coronavirus and 15 deaths, while Madeira has 92 people infected and remains without any registered deaths.

Of the total number of infected people in Portugal, 429 are hospitalised, 12 less than on Tuesday (-2.8 percent). The number of patients admitted to intensive care units rose to 73 (one more).

In the distribution of cases infected by municipalities, Lisbon is the one with the highest number of cases (3,238), followed by Sintra (2,370), Loures (1,707), Vila Nova de Gaia (1,628), Amadora (1,511), Porto (1,414), Matosinhos (1,292), Braga (1,256), Odivelas (1017) and Maia (950).

Data from the DGS report indicate that, of the total deaths recorded to date, 777 are women and 766 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 141 deaths.

DGS data also recorded 49 deaths in the age group between 50 and 59 years old, 18 between 40 and 49 years old, two 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 22,540 are women and 17,564 men.

The age group most affected by the disease is 40 to 49 years old (6,720), followed by those between 50 and 59 years old (6,389) and people aged between 30 and 39 years old (6,329).

In the youngest age groups, between 20 and 29 years old, there are 5,790 cases and, between 10 and 19 years old, 1,569.

In children up to nine years old there are 1,090 cases, according to data from the Directorate-General for Health.

According to DGS, 37 percent of patients had a cough, 28 percent fever, 21 percent muscle pain, 20 percent headache, 15 percent general weakness and 10 percent breathing difficulty.

A total of 1,586 people are awaiting laboratory test results and 30,935 are under surveillance by health authorities.

Since 1 January, Portugal has registered 368,967 suspected cases, the report said, adding that there are 26,083 people recovered, 254 more than on Tuesday.

The covid-19 pandemic has already claimed more than 477,000 deaths and infected 9.2 million worldwide.

More than 4.5 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.