LISBON, May 1 (Xinhua) -- The COVID-19 death toll in Portugal reached 1,007 on Friday after 18 new fatalities were recorded in the last 24 hours, according to the bulletin of the Directorate-General for Health (DGS).
The total number of cases in the country reached 25,351, up 306 from a day earlier, DGS said.
The number of recovered cases increased from 1,519 to 1,647, while that of people hospitalized dropped from 968 to 892.
Meanwhile, the number of patients in intensive care units (ICUs) decreased from 172 to 154.
Minister of Health Marta Temido said that the fatality rate in Portugal is at around 4 percent, but 14.2 percent in people over 70 years old.
"The numbers are still above what we would like but are much more controlled than they were 15 days ago," the minister said, adding that Portugal is now more "ready" to reopen slowly.
Movement of people out of their own city is prohibited during the Labor Day holiday from Friday to Sunday.
The country will start on Monday the reopening of businesses and services, as it moves to ease the lockdown measures imposed to fight against the COVID-19 pandemic since the declaration of the state of emergency on March 18. Enditem
