The information was transmitted by the Secretary of State for Health, António Lacerda Sales, in a joint press conference with the Director-General of Health, Graça Freitas, in which it was also advanced that the number of suspected cases rose to 339, of which 39 are positive and 67 await laboratory results.

Of the new cases confirmed today, seven are in the North region and the rest in the Lisbon and Tagus Valley region.

Most infected people are in a stable clinical situation, with only one inspiring "some care".

António Lacerda Sales said that “there are currently active transmission chains in Portugal”, which are based on the first cases of infection, imported from Italy and Spain.

According to the official, there are 10 referral hospitals for the Covid-19 epidemic, with “some second-tier hospitals” having been activated to combat the outbreak and more could be triggered.

"As the situation evolves, more units are activated and with the evolution of the outbreak all hospitals may be able to receive patients," he said.

São João Hospital, Santo António Hospital, Braga Hospital, Pedro Hispano Hospital, Guarda Hospital, Coimbra Pediatric Hospital, Coimbra Hospital and University Center, Curry Cabral Hospital, Dona Estefânia Hospital and Hospital de Santa Maria are the 10 units currently activated to receive patients from Covid-19.

António Lacerda Sales also mentioned that the North region is the most affected in the country, naming the closure of all schools in Lousada and Felgueiras, but adding the closure of two schools in Amadora and two in the Algarve, to justify that “the contingency measures they are taken after an assessment by the health units in a flexible, dynamic and proportional way” that can determine, in the case of schools, for example, total or partial closures.

“The measures taken are always open to updating. It is important to make it clear that these measures are not arbitrary and follow certain guidelines from the Directorate-General for Health and it is important that the Portuguese continue to trust and follow the recommendations of our national health authority ”, he declared.

The governor left a greeting to the health professionals and a thanks to "the responsible attitude" of the professional orders, which have called for the involvement of all professionals in the fight against this outbreak ".

The Covid-19 epidemic was detected in December and more than 110,000 people have been infected since then, but most have recovered. The disease has so far caused nearly 4,000 deaths, mostly in China.