Portugal has estimated that infections with the fast-spreading coronavirus variant Omicron are doubling every two days and could account for 80 per cent of all new cases by the end of December, reports Reuters.

The current prevalence of Omicron in Portugal was around 20pc, health minister Marta Temido told a news conference. That rate would mean many more people had come down with Omicron than the latest official tally of 69 confirmed cases.

“It may be of 50pc in the Christmas week and 80pc in the last week of the year,” the minister added.

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