Portugal extends Covid state of calamity

Lisbon, July 23 The Portuguese government has announced that the current "calamity situation", its highest response to a national emergency, will be extended until August 8, as the country has hit a four-month high of new single-day Covid-19 cases and deaths.

Portugal on Thursday reported 3,622 new cases, the highest since early February, and 16 new deaths, raising the country's respective totals to 943,244 and 17,248, Xinhua news agency reported.

The highest response to disaster situations was enacted on May 1 under the Portuguese Civil Protection Law and has been renewed repeatedly since then.

The government has increased the number of municipalities at a "high" or "very high" contamination risk level from 90 to 116 with tighter restrictive measures.

Minister of the Presidency Mariana Vieira da Silva said on Thursday that 47 per cent of the population has been fully vaccinated.

Prime Minister Antonio Costa meanwhile said that only with the "mobilisation of all sectors will it be possible to recover and rebuild the country" after the pandemic.