QCOSTARICA – The National Commission for Risk Prevention and Emergency Attention (CNE) has increased alerts for another 7 cantons, bringing the total to 72 of the 82 cantons in the country on orange alert for COVID-19.
This is the largest number of cantons on orange alert since the pandemic began in March 2020.
According to the National Situation Analysis Room, the seven cantons that increased their level of risk this week are Corredores, Hojancha, Nicoya, San Mateo, Sarapiquí, Tilarán and Upala.
For the cantons of San Mateo in Alajuela and Tilarán in Guanacaste, it is the first time on orange alert in the more than 14 months of the pandemic.
The areas that concentrated the majority of the cases in the previous week are: the central cantons of Alajuela, San José, and Cartago.
Among the most important epidemiological data of the last week, the CNE highlighted that, in addition to reaching the highest peak of infections so far, there was also the highest number of deaths associated with covid in a week with 132.
“We are in a critical phase of the emergency due to the acceleration that the virus has had in the last 4 weeks, the response institutions and the Municipal Emergency Committees are making great efforts to counteract the impact of the pandemic, but the discipline and awareness of people, who are the first to prevent COVID-19 in their own homes,” explained Sigifredo Pérez, director of Risk Management of the National Commission for Risk Prevention and Emergency Attention (CNE), during Tuesday’s press conference at Casa Presidencial.
The affected cantons:
- San José province: Acosta, Alajuelita, Curridabat, Desamparados, Escazú, Goicoechea, León Cortes, Montes de Oca, Moravia, Pérez Zeledón, Puriscal, San José center, Santa Ana, Tarrazú, Tibás and Vázquez de Coronado,
- Alajuela province: Alajuela center, Atenas, Grecia, Guatuso, Los Chiles, Naranjo, Orotina, Palmares, Poás, San Mateo, San Ramón, San Carlos, Sarchí, Upala and Zarcero,
- Cartago province: Cartago center, El Guarco, Jiménez, La Unión, Oreamuno, Paraíso, Turrialba.
- Heredia province: Barva, Belén, Flores, Heredia center, San Pablo, San Rafael, Santa Bárbara, Santo Domingo, San Isidro and Sarapiquí. (All the province)
- Guanacaste province: Bagaces, Carrillo, Hojancha, Liberia, Nandayure, Nicoya, Santa Cruz and Tilarán ,.
- Puntarenas province: Garabito, Quepos, Montes de Oro, Parrita, Puntarenas center, Buenos Aires, Osa, Esparza, Coto Brus, Corridors.
- Limon province: Guácimo, Matina, Limon center, Pococí, Siquirres and Talamanca.
Only 10 cantons remain on yellow alert: Aserrí, Mora, Turrubares, Dota, Río Cuarto, Alvarado, Cañas, La Cruz, Abangares and Golfito.
Turrubares is the only canton that has remained on a yellow alert throughout the health emergency.