The DGS bulletin also reveals that 6,412 people are hospitalised, 84 fewer than on Thursday, of whom 904 are in intensive care units, 41 more.

According to the data, the number of inpatients in intensive care is the highest since the beginning of the pandemic.

After a four-day descent, the death toll rose again today.

Today's data also reveals that 11,342 people were reported to have recovered, bringing the number of recovered to 585,276 since the beginning of the pandemic in Portugal in March 2020.

Today was the fifth consecutive day that the number of recovered exceeded new infections.

Since March 2020, Portugal has recorded 13,740 deaths associated with covid-19 and 755,774 cases of infection by the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus, with 156,758 cases now active, 4,684 fewer than on Thursday.

The number of active cases in Portugal also declines in the last few days after reaching a maximum of 291,811 on 29 January.

Health authorities have 198,263 contacts under surveillance, 6,073 fewer than the previous day.

Regarding the 258 deaths recorded in the last 24 hours, 142 occurred in Lisbon and Vale do Tejo, 42 in the Centro region, 39 in the North region, 25 in the Alentejo and 10 in the Algarve region.

In the region of Lisbon and the Tagus Valley, 3,650 new infections were reported, with 280,114 cases and 5,491 deaths so far.

Lisbon and the Tagus Valley today have 52.7 percent of the total new cases at national level and 55 percent of deaths recorded in the last 24 hours.

The North region registered 1,704 new infections by SARS-CoV-2 in the last 24 hours and since the beginning of the pandemic it has already registered 314,865 cases of infection and 4,734 deaths.

In the Centere region, 1,050 more cases were registered, with 107,589 infections accumulating and 2,433 deaths and in the Alentejo, 186 more cases were reported, totalling 26,470 infections and 766 deaths since the beginning of the pandemic in Portugal.

The Algarve region has today registered 202 new cases, totalling 18,425 infections and 244 deaths.

Madeira registered 107 new cases. This autonomous region accounts for 4,712 infections and 46 deaths due to covid-19.

In the Autonomous Region of the Azores, 17 new cases were registered in the last 24 hours, totaling 3,599 infections and 26 deaths.

Confirmed cases are distributed across all age groups, with the highest number of infections between 20 and 59 years of age.

Of the total fatalities, 7,144 were men and 6,596 women.

The largest number of deaths continues to be concentrated in the elderly over 80 years old, followed by the age group between 70 and 79 years old.

Of the total of 13,740 deaths, 9,237 were people over 80 years old, 2,812 aged between 70 and 79 years old and 1,177 were between 60 and 69 years old.