The number of deaths is the lowest since 22 October , when 16 deaths were recorded.

The DGS bulletin reveals that 1,102 patients are hospitalised (99 less than on Wednesday), the lowest figure since 18 October, when 1,086 people were hospitalised.

Portugal has 273 patients in intensive care today (10 less than Wednesday), the lowest since 29 October, when 262 people were in these units.

The data also indicate that 6,017 people have been reported recovered, bringing to 744,196 the total number of recovered since the start of the pandemic in Portugal in March 2020.

Active cases in Portugal continue to see a sharp decline, with 51,744 counted today, down 5,408 since Wednesday.

Since March 2020, Portugal has recorded 16,635 Covid-19-associated deaths and 811,948 cases of SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus infection.

Health authorities have 18,951 contacts under surveillance, down 2,224 from the previous day, with the downward trend continuing since 30 January.

According to the latest data from the Directorate-General for Health, Portugal currently has 1,078,763 people vaccinated against covid-19: 772,343 with the first dose 306,420 with the second dose.

Of the 18 deaths recorded in the last 24 hours, 15 occurred in Lisbon and Tagus Valley and three in the North region.

In the Lisbon and Tagus Valley region, which today surpassed seven thousand deaths (7,003) since the start of the pandemic, 283 new infections have been reported, accounting so far for 307,800 cases.

According to the daily bulletin, the Lisbon region now accounts for 83.3 percent of deaths and 45 percent of new national cases

The North region has 179 new infections by SARS-CoV-2 and since the beginning of the pandemic has counted 328,096 cases of infection and 5,271 deaths.

In the Centre region, 89 more cases have been registered, accumulating 115,921 infections and 2,962 deaths.

In the Alentejo 11 more cases have been reported, totalling 28,686 infections and 961 deaths since the start of the pandemic in Portugal.

The Algarve region has reported 13 new cases, totalling 20,280 infections and 346 deaths.

In the Autonomous Region of Madeira, 18 new cases have been reported, accounting for 7,953 infections and 64 deaths due to Covid-19 since March 2020.

The Azores now have 34 new cases, accounting for 3,839 cases since the start of the pandemic and 28 deaths.

The confirmed cases are distributed across all age groups, with the highest number of infections recorded between 20 and 59 years.

The new coronavirus has already infected at least 367,808 men and 444,484 women in Portugal, according to data from the DGS.

Of the total number of deaths, 8,725 were men and 7,910 were 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, 10,993 were people aged over 80, 3,517 were aged between 70 and 79 and 1,473 were aged between 60 and 69.