Portugal coronavirus death tally tops 400

PORTUGAL’S coronavirus death tally has climbed to over 400.

The country has registered another 29 fatalities related to Covid-19 since Wednesday, pushing the total up to 409.

The number of infections over the last 24 hours has meanwhile shot up by 815 to 13,956, according to the latest figures from the DGS Health General Directorate.

Of this number, 1,173 are hospitalised. There are 241 coronavirus patients in intensive care.

The grim news comes on the same day Portugal has intensified lockdown controls to prevent the virus from spreading further over the long Easter weekend.

The authorities have urged the Portuguese to stay at home, especially between now and Monday. To further dissuade people from attempting to make any non-essential trips they have toughened up the existing state of emergency measures.

People are not allowed to leave the municipality where they live up between today and Monday unless for justifiable reasons of work.

There are some 35,000 GNR National Republican Guards and PSP Public Security Police patrolling the main highways and transport terminals to ensure compliance. Airports are also closed to passenger traffic throughout Easter.

Failing to comply with the rules will be treated as a crime of disobedience.

Earlier this week Portugal’s president Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa expressed the hope that citizens would be able to “gain freedom” in May with a gradual lifting of the restrictions, as along as the population abided by the restrictions in April.

As it stands, the Portuguese have to remain in their usual place of residence unless they need to go out for basic essentials or for some outdoor exercise, but sanctions are only issued in cases of people who have tested positive for Covid-19 or who are suspected cases breaking confinement rules.

The Government has meanwhile this week approved new measures aimed at easing the effects of the pandemic. These include guaranteeing that the electricity and water supplies of anyone who has lost their source of income due to the crisis will not be cut off. The administration has also partially pardoned prison sentences of less than two years or where there are only two years left to serve of a sentence where the crime was minor.

Some 2,000 prisoner have gained their freedom as a result.