The DGS epidemiological bulletin reveals that 558 patients are hospitalised (26 less than on Tuesday), the lowest since 22 September, when 546 people were hospitalised.

In intensive care, Portugal has 127 patients today, two less than on Tuesday, the lowest since 11 October, when 124 people were hospitalised in these units.

The data also reveal that 707 people have been reported recovered, bringing the total number since the start of the pandemic in Portugal in March 2020 to 778,210.

Active cases in Portugal continue to see a decrease, with 26,664 counted today (down 92), and the number of new confirmed cases, today at 618, with a stabilised evolution since mid-March.

Since March 2020, Portugal has recorded 16,848 deaths associated with Covid-19 and 821,722 cases of infection with the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus.

Health authorities are monitoring 15,800 contacts, 53 fewer than the previous day, a decrease not seen for six days.

According to the latest data from the DGS, Portugal currently has 1,672,893 people vaccinated against Covid-19: 1,197,027 with the first dose and 475,866 with the second dose.

The transmissibility index (Rt) of the new coronavirus in Portugal is stable, standing today at 0.94, while the incidence has fallen to 65.3 new cases of infection per 100,000 inhabitants, according to official data.

According to the joint bulletin of the General Directorate of Health (DGS) and the National Institute of Health Doctor Ricardo Jorge (INSA), the Rt is 0.94 in mainland Portugal and islands, the same recorded by the previous bulletin, released on Monday.

Regarding the incidence of new cases of infection with SARS-CoV-2, the data shows that it stands at 65.3 cases per 100,000 inhabitants (70 per 100,000 inhabitants on Monday) and at 62.4 cases per 100,000 inhabitants if only the mainland is considered (63.4 per 100,000 inhabitants on Monday).

Incidence refers to the number of new cases per 100,000 inhabitants in the last 14 days.

Of the three deaths reported, two were registered in Lisbon and Vale do Tejo and one in the North region.

In the Lisbon and Tagus Valley region, 271 new infections have been reported, counting 311,462 cases and 7,129 deaths so far.

The North region has 210 new infections by SARS-CoV-2 and since the beginning of the pandemic there have been 330,673 cases of infection and 5,301 deaths.

In the Centre region, 74 more cases have been registered, accumulating 117,163 infections and 2,998 deaths.

In the Alentejo nine more cases were reported, totalling 29,080 infections and 970 deaths since the start of the pandemic.

In the Algarve region, today's bulletin shows that 35 new cases were registered, accumulating 20,675 infections and 353 deaths.

In the Autonomous Region of Madeira, 11 new cases have been registered, accounting for 8,606 infections and 68 deaths due to Covid-19 since March 2020.

The Azores now has eight new cases and accounts for 4,063 cases and 29 deaths since the start of the pandemic, according to the DGS.

Regional authorities in the Azores and Madeira release their data daily, which may not coincide with the information released in the DGS bulletin.

The cases confirmed today at national level are distributed across all age groups, with the highest number of infections registered between 20 and 59 years old.

The new coronavirus has already infected at least 372,262 men and 449,174 women in Portugal, DGS data show, according to which there are 286 cases of unknown gender, which are under investigation, since this information is not provided automatically.

Of the total number of fatalities, 8,845 were men and 8,003 women.

The highest number of deaths continues to be concentrated in the elderly over 80 years old, followed by the age group between 70 and 79 years old.

Of the total number of deaths, 11,106 were people aged over 80, 3,574 were aged between 70 and 79, and 1,500 were aged between 60 and 69.