Portugal to allow COVID-infected voters to leave home on election day

A Chega far right party and Popular Party CDS billboards for the snap elections which is to take place on January 30 are seen in Lisbon, Portugal, January 19, 2022. REUTERS/Pedro Nunes

LISBON (Reuters) - Portuguese voters with COVID-19 or those in isolation due to exposure to the rampant virus will be allowed to leave home to cast their ballots in a snap election on Jan. 30, the government said on Wednesday.

The announcement came a day after Portugal, which has almost 90% of its 10 million population fully inoculated, reported a daily record of 43,729 COVID-19 infections, stoked by the fast spreading Omicron variant. Hospital admissions and mortality remain well below levels seen in the previous peaks.