Portugal Says Intensive-Care Unit Occupancy Rate Is About 94%

(Bloomberg) -- Portugal, which is facing one of world's worst coronavirus outbreaks, now has an occupancy rate of about 94% at its intensive-care units, Secretary of State for Health Antonio Lacerda Sales said.

If it's necessary to use other capacity outside the country, Portugal can resort to that and accept that help, Sales said on Monday at a press conference broadcast by RTP. The health ministry said in an emailed statement later on Monday evening that a team of German military health-care professionals and equipment are expected to arrive in Portugal on Wednesday.

The government said in January that the Covid-19 variant that emerged in the U.K. was spreading quickly in the country, forcing it to adopt additional confinement measures such as closing schools. Portugal started tightening restrictions again at the end of December after easing rules during the Christmas weekend.

• The government on Monday reported 5,805 new confirmed coronavirus cases in a day, about a third of the record 16,432 new cases announced on Thursday and taking the total to 726,321. The number of patients in intensive-care units rose by seven to 865.
• The country's national health service has a capacity of about 1,320 intensive-care beds, with about 910 for Covid-19 patients, the health ministry said in an email. Portugal has more than 2,000 ventilators at present, Sales said.

©2021 Bloomberg L.P.