Portugal has already carried out more than 770 thousand diagnostic tests

Portugal has carried out more than 770 thousand diagnostic tests for covid-19 since the beginning of March and managed to "pass the barrier" of the 20,000 on 15 May, said the Secretary of State for Health.

"Since 1 March, more than 770 thousand diagnostic tests of covid-19 have been carried out", a figure determined after "an update on the number of samples processed by all laboratories", said António Lacerda Sales, during the daily press conference to update information about the pandemic in Portugal.

According to the minister, Portugal managed to "even pass the barrier of 20 thousand daily tests" on the 15th and "more tests have already been done in May than in April".

In relation to positive tests, "the situation is not the same across the country", he stressed, noting that last Monday, 25 May, of the total tests done in the regions of the country, the region of Lisbon and Vale do Tejo registered 7 percent of positive tests, the North 4 percent, the Algarve 2 percent and the regions of Madeira, Azores and Alentejo registered 0 percent.

"In the national total, since 11 May, the percentage of positive results has always been less than 5 percent", stressed António Lacerda Sales.