Since the beginning of the pandemic, Portugal has registered a total of 5,694 deaths and 350,938 cases of infection by the SARS-CoV-2 virus, with 71,012 active, 851 fewer cases compared to Sunday.

Official data shows that this is the lowest number of new cases in a single day since October 20, when 1,876 were recorded.

As for hospital admissions, the DGS epidemiological bulletin reveals that 3,254 people are hospitalised, 97 more than the previous day, of which 513 are in intensive care, a fact that has not changed in the last 24 hours.

Health authorities have 76,723 contacts under surveillance, 2,711 more than on Sunday, the data show, which points to 2,955 more recovered patients.

Since the beginning of the epidemic in Portugal, in March, 274,277 people have recovered.

Of the 90 deaths recorded in the last 24 hours, 32 occurred in the region of Lisbon and Vale do Tejo, 29 in the North region, 24 were recorded in the Centre region, three in Alentejo and two in the Algarve.

According to the DGS bulletin, the Northern region recorded the highest number of new SARS-CoV-2 infections in the last 24 hours (936), totalling 183,535 cases and 2,688 deaths since March.

In the region of Lisbon and the Tagus Valley, 777 new cases were reported, with 113,871 cases of infection and 1,951 deaths so far.

In the Centre region, there were 255 more cases, a total of 36,871, and 776 deaths.

In the Alentejo, 101 cases were reported, toltaling 8,006 cases and 148 deaths since the epidemic began in Portugal.

The Algarve region has today reported 39 more new cases, totalling 6,182 infections and 61 deaths.

In the Autonomous Region of the Azores, 62 new cases were registered in the last 24 hours, totalling 1,397 infections detected and 20 dead.

Madeira registered 24 new cases. Since March, the autonomous region has registered 1,076 infections and five 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, 2,954 were men and 2,695 women.

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

The country has been in a state of emergency since November 9 and until December 23, a period during which there is a mandatory curfew in counties with the highest risk of contagion.