"The Ministry of Health accepted the offer of help from the Luxembourgian and French governments to support the treatment of patients in Portugal," said the office of Marta Temido in a statement.

According to the same source, the Luxembourg team, made up of two doctors and two nurses, will support the intensive medicine service at Espírito Santo Hospital in Évora, while the doctor and three French nursing professionals will work at Garcia de Orta Hospital in Almada.

"The teams should arrive during the week of 15 February, and a 15-day stay is expected," the Health Ministry said, stressing that this help "constitutes an important support to two hospitals that have been feeling a high pressure at the intensive care level.

In addition to these two teams, a German military medical team is already in Portugal and began treating the first patients on 8 February.