Chairman of Santander's Portuguese unit dies from coronavirus

LISBON/MADRID (Reuters) - 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, a source familiar with the matter told Reuters.

Vieira Monteiro, 73, became chairman of Santander Totta in 2019 after seven years as chief executive. He led the bank during a period of austerity, economic and debt crisis in Portugal.

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 13,716.

Portugal reported its first coronavirus death on Monday and said more were expected. Health Minister Marta Temido said the first fatality was an 80-year-old man with pre-existing conditions who was hospitalised in Lisbon.

(Reporting by Catarina Demony and Patricia Vicente Rua in Lisbon and Jesus Aguado in Madrid, editing by Andrei Khalip, Angus MacSwan and Louise Heavens)