The Regional Health Authority reports that five positive cases of COVID-19 were diagnosed in the Region, according to testing conducted by the Specialised Service of Epidemiology and Molecular Biology of the Santo Espírito Hospital on the Island of Terceira.
Two cases were detected on the island of Terceira, one on the island of Pico and two on the island of São Miguel.
Currently, all patients are clinically stable and in home confinement.
On the island of Terceira, the two identified cases correspond to females aged between 20 and 27.
The 20-year-old individual had contact with a positive case diagnosed on the island of São Jorge, while the 37-year-old individual had contact with the second confirmed case on the island of Terceira.
The confirmed case on the island Pico is a 53-year-old male with history of recent travel to Canada, where he had contact with a positive case.
The confirmed cases on the island of São Miguel correspond to a male, aged 31, and a female, aged 22, who went on the same cruise associated with the cases identified on São Jorge Island.
The Regional Health Authority urges people who travelled to Dubai on the cruise ship MSC Belissima from March 7 to 14 and who have not yet been contacted to call the Azores Health Line - 808 24 60 24.
As of now, 17 positive cases for infection with the novel coronavirus SARS-CoV-2, which causes the COVID-19 disease, have been identified in the Region, four on Terceira Island, one on Faial Island, seven on São Jorge Island, four on São Miguel Island and one on Pico Island.
The information on the COVID-19 pandemic will be updated this afternoon at 4 pm, through a press conference to be held at the headquarters of the Regional Health Secretariat at Solar dos Remédios in Angra do Heroísmo.
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 http://covid19.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 every day of the week from 8 am to 8 pm, 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.