First Portuguese infected with coronavirus, more than a hundred cases in Italy in less than 48 hours
This is the first confirmed case of coronavirus in a Portuguese patient. The 41-year-old man from Nazaré has worked for five years as a plumber on the cruise ship Diamond Princess. Despite the positive diagnosis, he shows no symptoms of the disease. The General Directorate of Portuguese Health and the Portuguese government have not yet confirmed the positive result of the coronavirus. The Diamond Princess was docked in Japan for several weeks and many people became infected with the virus, while some countries decided to evacuate their nationals. On the Italian side, quarantine has been imposed on more than 50,000 people following the multiplication of confirmed cases: more than a hundred in less than 48 hours, and already 2 dead. Northern Italy, particularly the Milan and Veneto regions, are on high alert to curb the coronavirus epidemic. Lisbob, the expatriate assistant, tells you all about the latest news on the coronavirus epidemic in Portugal and Italy.
First Portuguese infected with coronavirus, more than a hundred cases in Italy in less than 48 hours
First Portuguese infected with coronavirus is from Nazaré
The first Portuguese infected with coronavirus is a 41-year-old man. He has been part of the crew of the Diamond Princess for five years where he is a plumber. Originally from Nazaré, Adriano Luís Maranhão was diagnosed at 2 p.m. on Saturday as positive for the virus. He has been on board since December 13, but still has no symptoms.
The Portuguese Directorate General of Health (DGS) says it still cannot confirm the diagnosis. The DGS notes that it "knows" that citizens holding a Portuguese passport are being tested, but that they have not yet received the results. Given the time zone (4:00 local time), the official confirmation can only arrive in a few hours.
"We will wait for the official news from Japan," said director general of health Graça Freitas to RTP. "We have to wait for official confirmation to find out if the tests were positive, what kind of tests were carried out, and also to ensure the health of our fellow citizen, who appears to be in good condition."
According to a statement from the Portuguese Directorate General for Health (DGS), there are eight Portuguese citizens on board the Diamond Princess, five crew members and three passengers. They began to be tested on February 20, after the Diamond Princess quarantine period ended.
The fact that, unlike passengers, the cruise crew take their meals in the same space, use the same dishes and share the same bathrooms and toilets has already been criticized for promoting the spread of the coronavirus.
So far, at least 634 people infected with Covid-19 have been detected among the 3,711 passengers and crew on board the ship. Two of these people died.
Already 2 death and more than 100 infected fin less than 48 hours in Italy
Evolution of coronavirus cases outside China
Italy under maximum alert
For its part, Italy is on high alert. A dozen Italian cities are in quarantine after the death of two people infected with the coronavirus. The Italian government has decided to close these sites, after the most recent increase in infection cases which is already over 100. This Sunday morning, the Governor of the Lombardy region, Attilio Fontana, confirmed that the number of confirmed cases increased to 89 only in this region.
The north of Italy recorded two deaths in less than 24 hours: Friday, a 78-year-old man died in Veneto following a respiratory complication caused by the virus. On Saturday, the victim was a 75-year-old woman in the town of Codogno, in the Lombardy region. Veneto, Piedmont and Lombardy are the most critical regions and Italy is becoming the most worrying country in Europe. There have already been three deaths on European soil linked to the epidemic: the first occurred in Paris, when a Chinese tourist did not resist the pneumonia resulting from the infection.
Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte showed solidarity with the families of the two victims, revealing that he had planned an emergency meeting. More than 50,000 people have been asked to remain in solitary confinement by the authorities. Other exceptional measures, such as the cancellation of a football match, have been taken to avoid a runaway epidemic.