The Regional Health Authority reports that two positive cases of COVID-19 were diagnosed on the island of São Miguel, following 719 tests conducted by the two laboratories of reference in the Azores in the last 24 hours.

One of the diagnosed cases concerns a 36-year-old male, crew member of a vessel screened on arrival in the Autonomous Region of the Azores, having remained on the vessel while waiting for the test result.

The individual is clinically stable and will be transferred to an accommodation unit for compliance with quarantine requirements.

The remaining crew members will be in quarantine on the vessel for a period of 14 days.

The other diagnosed case corresponds to a 51-year-old male, who arrived today in the Autonomous Region of the Azores via a flight from Mainland Portugal. The first test carried out before boarding produced an inconclusive result, while a second test, whose result was known after arriving in the Region, was positive.

The individual is clinically stable, having been transferred from the airport to the Divino Espírito Santo Hospital in Ponta Delgada for evaluation.

The close contacts of this second case are already being tested and the procedures defined for confirmed case and surveillance have been carried out by the Municipal Health Delegation.

With the most recent cases, 161 cases of infection with the novel SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus, which causes the COVID-19 disease, have already been detected in the Region, with nine active positive cases: seven on the island of São Miguel, one on the island of Terceira and one on the island of Flores.

Pandemic prevention and containment measures should be maintained and reinforced, whenever possible, by citizens, private and social organisations, and by the social sector.

The Regional Health Authority reiterates the need to comply with all recommendations already made public in this regard, especially that, in case of symptoms, patients should not seek a Hospital or Health Unit, but rather call the Azores Health Line - 808 24 60 24.

For more information, please consult the Regional Government's website dedicated to this pandemic at https://destinoseguro.azores.gov.pt/ or the Regional Directorate for Health Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/DirecaoSaudeAcores/. 

The Regional Government also provides the Azores Non-Medical COVID-19 Information Line -800 29 29 29 -, which operates from 8 am to 8 pm on working days, and the RIAC Line - 800 500 501 -, which is available from Monday to Saturday from 9 am to 10.30 pm, and on Sundays from 10 am to 10.30 pm.
 
The email address [email protected] is also available for clarification on the measures adopted in the Region to face the novel coronavirus pandemic.