Chairman of Santander's Portuguese unit dies from coronavirus-report

LISBON/MADRID - The chairman of the Portuguese unit of Spain's largest bank, Santander, Antonio Vieira Monteiro, died from the coronavirus on Wednesday, the second victim of the disease in Portugal, Portuguese newspaper Expresso said.

Vieira Monteiro, 73, became chairman of Santander Totta in 2019 after seven years as chief executive. A Santander spokesman confirmed that Vieira Monteiro had died, but would not say if that was from the coronavirus.

Portuguese newspaper Jornal Economico said Vieira Monteiro was put in quarantine earlier this month after a trip to hard-hit Italy, and was in intensive care in a Lisbon hospital since last week.

Portugal has reported 448 confirmed cases of coronavirus, far below neighbouring Spain's 11,178