In just over a month, Portugal recorded roughly 3,000 more deaths than normal for this time of year. The so-called “excess mortality”, revealed by figures from the Directorate-General of Health (DGS), has persisted for more than a month, since 6 December, with the arrival of flu and cold weather.

The situation worsened in the first week of January, after the Christmas and New Year festivities, as experts had predicted, and the above-average mortality stopped affecting only the elderly, beginning to affect all ages over 45. With 547 deaths in 24 hours, the peak in mortality occurred on 2 January — to find days with more deaths in Portugal you have to go back to 2021, a year of the COVID-19 pandemic.

DGS figures indicate the worst now appears to have passed, but a few more days are needed to be certain.