Portugal's COVID-19 cases hit record, emergency to be extended

FILE PHOTO: A man runs near Tagus river during the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic in Lisbon
FILE PHOTO: A man runs near Tagus river during the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic in Lisbon

LISBON (Reuters) - The daily number of COVID-19 cases in Portugal, a nation of just over 10 million people, reached a record high of 10,027 on Wednesday, as the country prepares to approve an extension of a state of emergency to fight the worrying increase in infections.

Portugal, which has so far registered 446,606 cases and 7,377 deaths from the virus, eased restrictions around Christmas but cracked down again on New Year's Eve with a ban on travel between municipalities and public gatherings.

But the number of cases is rising fast, with Portugal's President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa saying over the weekend he was worried about the increase in infections after the holiday season.

To tackle the outbreak, lawmakers will vote later on Wednesday to extend the state of emergency, which ends on Thursday, for an additional week until Jan. 15. It is likely to be approved.

"There's again immense pressure on the national health service and we are trying to respond." Health Minister Marta Temido told reporters at a time over 500 COVID-19 patients are in intensive care units. "We need everyone's help."

(Reporting by Catarina Demony; Editing by Toby Chopra and Steve Orlofsky)

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