Lisbon, Nov 24 (AP) Portugal on Wednesday reported its highest number of new daily COVID-19 infections since July amid a surge in cases across Europe, though hospitalisations are rising more slowly in the country where 86% of people are vaccinated.

The Portuguese government is due to announce on Thursday what new pandemic restrictions it is introducing, seven weeks after scrapping almost all of them because of the high vaccination rate and perceived lower threat from the coronavirus.

Also Read | China’s Birth Rate Falls to Four-Decades Low: Report.

The General Directorate for Health officially reported 3,773 new cases Wednesday, with 681 in hospitals, 105 in intensive care units and 17 deaths. The number of patients requiring hospitalisation was the highest since September.

On Nov 1, Portugal reported fewer than 500 new infections, 360 people hospitalised, 60 in intensive care and five deaths. Those numbers were similar to those a month earlier.

Also Read | Tibetans Enduring Employment Crisis Due to Chinese Dominance Over Local Job Market.

The rise reflects a broader surge in Europe, with some countries severely tightening restrictions, but the government has said it doesn't foresee the immediate need for a lockdown.

The junior minister for health, Antonio Lacerda Sales, said booster shots will begin next week for people who had the single-dose Johnson & Johnson shot — around 250,000 people.

Authorities are considering whether to begin inoculating children between 5 and 11 years old. (AP)

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)