Portugal could ease isolation rules by Jan. 30 vote as infections soar

FILE PHOTO: A woman wearing a protective masks walks in Terreiro do Paco, moments before a governmental news conference to announce new coronavirus disease (COVID-19) restrictions, in Lisbon, Portugal, December 21, 2021. REUTERS/Pedro Nunes/File Photo

LISBON (Reuters) - Portugal's authorities said on Wednesday that isolation rules for quarantined voters may need to be eased ahead of a snap general election on Jan. 30 as the country reported a daily record of 39,570 COVID-19 infections.

As the Omicron variant sweeps the country that has one of the world's highest vaccination rates, hospital admissions and mortality remain well below levels seen in the previous peak of the disease in early 2021.