Omicron sub-variant fuelling Portugal's COVID-19 surge
portugal
AnOmicronsub-varianthas fuelled asurgeinCOVID-19cases in Portugal which now has the world's second-highest infection rate, potentially threatening the tourism sector's recovery.Portugal registered an average of 2,447 new cases per million people over the last seven days. That compares to neighbouring Spain's 449 and Britain's 70, according to tracker Our World In Data.The rolling average hassubsided slightly in the past few days and is just over a third of the Jan. 31Omicronpeak.
Portugal has the world's fifth-highest death rate fromCOVID-19and hospitalisations are on the rise, but both are still far below previous peaks.
Several tourism businesses contacted byReutershave expressed fears about thesurge, but said they had had no cancellations so far. The number of foreign tourists in April was close to levels seen before the pandemic.
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More than 90 per centofPortugal'spopulation is fully vaccinated.
Public health institute Ricardo Jorge said in a report on Tuesday theOmicronsub-variantBA.5 represented nearly 90 per centof newCOVID-19infections. The BA.4sub-varianthas also been detected in Portugal.
Both drove South Africa's fifth covidwave last month, with scientists saying they were able to dodge antibodies from earlier infection.
"Portugal is probably the European country with the highest prevalence of thissub-lineage and this partly explains the high number (of cases) we are seeing," Health Minister Marta Temido told RTP broadcaster.
The government lifted mostCOVID-19restrictions, including the mandatory use of masks in most indoor public spaces, in April and has said there are no plans to reintroduce measures.
Temido said the use of masks was still recommended and authorities would continue to roll out booster vaccine doses to the most vulnerable.
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