The Ricardo Jorge Institute indicated that the transmissibility index of the virus that causes Covid-19 increased from 0.95 on January 27 to 1.02 on February 3.
The transmissibility index (Rt) of the virus that causes Covid-19 rose to 1.02 at the national level and three regions are with this indicator above the threshold of 1.00, estimates the Ricardo Jorge Institute (INSA).
According to the Covid-19 case trend report released Wednesday, the Rt – which estimates the number of secondary cases of infection resulting from each person carrying the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus – increased from 0.95 on January 27 to 1.02 on February 3.
INSA also adds that this indicator is higher than 1.00 in three regions of the country, such as Lisbon and Tagus Valley (1.08), Alentejo (1.08), and the Azores (1.10).
The North registers an Rt of 0.94, the Center 0.98, the Algarve 0.92, and Madeira 0.96, says the document, adding that the average number of daily infections, on a five-day average, rose slightly from 181 to 188 at the national level.
Since March 2, 2020, when the first cases were reported, until February 3, Portugal has recorded 5,565,534 cases of SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus infection.
Covid-19 has been considered an international public health emergency since January 30, 2020, and a pandemic since March 11 of the same year.
In late January, the World Health Organization (WHO) decided to maintain the maximum alert level for Covid-19 after a meeting of its emergency committee, which acknowledged, however, that the pandemic may be approaching a tipping point.