Speaking to Lusa, Isilda Gomes indicated that the closure of the educational establishment, the second in the city, was ordered, and “there are no further restrictions for now”.

The Manuel Teixeira Gomes School student and her mother, a teacher at the José Buisel School, were diagnosed after being in Italy during the week of Carnival holidays, both having returned to their respective schools on 27 February and being monitored by the team of the SNS24 daily.

"The Chamber will only take measures according to the indications of the Directorate-General for Health", highlighted the mayor of the municipality, stressing that the closure of this school raises to "more than 1,000" the students affected by the suspension of classes.

On Sunday, it was announced that from 9 March the Teixeira Gomes Secondary School, of the same group as the second establishment now closed, would be closed after a student was diagnosed with Covid-19.

However, the rest of the family was still waiting for the results of the new coronavirus screening tests.

In a statement released today on the website of the Manuel Teixeira Gomes School Group, the group's management says that students who were in direct contact with the teacher “will be contacted and may be in social isolation for 14 days, at their homes”.

"Teachers and operational assistants who were in contact with the teacher in question may also be in a situation of isolation, duly justified", continues the statement, calling on these people to contact the Public Health Unit in Portimão.

After the first case in the district of Faro was known on Sunday, the Portimão public health delegate appealed to people who were in contact with the infected secondary school student to adopt “social distance” measures to prevent the spread of the virus.

“At least until 20 March, the entire school community must monitor any symptoms, adopting hygiene and social distance behaviours”, declared Maria Filomena Agostinho.