The Health Minister said today at the daily press conference on the evolution of the pandemic in the country that, between February 21 and March 16, the average number of cases generated from an infected person was 2.08.

"These are numbers that encourage us, but also hold us accountable," said Marta Temido.

According to the minister, the data collected so far "continue to make it possible to estimate that the maximum incidence [of the pandemic in Portugal] has been in the past, between 23 and 25 March".

Marta Temido clarified that “between February 21 and March 16 [the day when schools were closed and many companies started to work in teleworking], the average number of secondary cases resulting from a case of covid infection was 2 , 08 ”.

"That is, an infected case had the risk of generating 2.08 other cases," he explained.

With "the introduction of containment measures, there was a decrease in the risk of transmissibility, which is now, compared to the average of the last five days, at 0.91".

Portugal registers 687 deaths associated with covid-19 in 19,685 confirmed cases of infection, according to the daily bulletin of the Directorate-General for Health (DGS) on the pandemic.

In relation to the previous day, there are 30 more deaths (+ 4.6%) and 663 more cases of infection (+ 3.5%).

Of the infected people, 1,253 are hospitalized, of which 228 are in intensive care units, and 610 have been cured.

The presidential decree that extends the state of emergency initiated on March 19 until May 2 provides for the possibility of a "gradual, phased or alternate opening of services, companies or commercial establishments".