LISBON, Jan. 24 (Xinhua) -- Portuguese Defense Minister Joao Gomes Cravinho tested positive for COVID-19 with mild symptoms, his office announced on Sunday.
According to a statement from the Ministry of Defense, Cravinho is already "in confinement, keeping working at a distance."
This is the seventh Portuguese minister, out of a total of 19, who contracted COVID-19, and among them five were reported in January 2021 alone, with four showing symptoms.
Portugal recorded on Sunday 275 deaths related to COVID-19 in the last 24 hours, the highest daily number since the beginning of the pandemic, bringing the death toll to 10,469, according to the directorate-general for health.
An additional 11,721 new cases of the coronavirus have been reported, taking the national tally to 636,190, with 6,117 people hospitalized, of whom 742 are in intensive care units.
Vaccination is already underway in Portugal. Portuguese Prime Minister Antonio Costa on Thursday said that the country will have "70 percent of the adult population properly immunized" by the end of summer. Enditem
