"A symbol of hope" - German military aid arrives in Portugal

Staff members enter aboard an A400M military transport plane to COVID-19 stricken Portugal in Wunstorf, Germany, February 3, 2021. REUTERS/Fabian Bimmer

LISBON (Reuters) - A German military plane carrying over 20 doctors and nurses together with ventilators and hospital beds arrived on Wednesday in coronavirus-stricken Portugal, where a severe rise in cases has prompted several European nations to offer help.

The German team will manage a new unit of eight ICU beds in a private hospital in Lisbon, Hospital da Luz, which was equipped but lacked the staff to operate, Health Minister Marta Temido said at the military base where the plane landed.