Coronavirus pandemic already peaked in Portugal Health Minister says

THE coronavirus pandemic has already peaked in Portugal, according to Health Minister Marta Temido.

In a press briefing on Saturday, the minister said the country experienced a Covid-19 peak between March 23 and 25, and that the number of new infections has remained stable since then.

The latest official figures put the number of coronavirus cases in Portugal at 19,685, way below the 191,726 recorded in neighbouring Spain.

Another 663 people have tested positive in the last 24 hours and another 30 people have lost their lives to the virus, pushing the fatality tally to 687.

Temido said that given the stability in new contagions she could see the gradual recovery of normality in hospitals, especially those which have not had any coronavirus patients, and the consultations and operations cancelled due to Covid-19.

At the same time she warned that until there is a vaccine and the virus can be eradicated there would not be complete normality and that she expected there to be alternate periods of greater or lesser controls on social movement.