Updated: The initial report by the Ministry of Health was of 10 deaths between Wednesday and Friday. Subsequently, the report was updated to 9, the death of 49-year-old Costa Rican man was removed, without explanations.
(QCOSTARICA) The number of daily new cases of COVID-19 in Costa Rica keeps growing, with 768 reported this Thursday, the highest number in almost five months of a national emergency.
Previously, the highest number of new patients was on July 9, with 649 people confirmed with the disease.
Health Minister, Daniel Salas Peraza, in his daily epidemiological report, reported that this number brings the accumulated cases since March 6 to 13,129 people, between 0 and 99 years old.
The more serious numbers and where everyone is now turning their attention to are the number of sick in hospital and the number of deaths.
This July 23, 290 people are hospitalized; 43 of them in an Intensive Care Unit (ICU), between 23 and 83, Salas reported.
The minister assured that if the vehicular and commercial restriction measures had not been taken in recent days, the figures announced would be much higher.
Salas recognized, again, “the collapse in the follow-up of cases and sampling,” and promised this Friday to refer more broadly to the variation in figures recorded this week.
These numbers are also putting pressure on health services. Hospitals such as San Juan de Dios, San Carlos and, more recently, the National Geriatric Hospital, have had to limit or close services due to outbreaks, both of patients and healthcare personnel.
Ten deaths were reported in the last 24 hours, bringing the total today to 81: 27 are women and 54 men, between 23 and 94 years old. Complete list of deaths is found here.
The new deaths reported by the Ministry of Health this Thursday are the following:
- A 49-year-old man, Costa Rican, a resident of San José. He was admitted to the San Juan de Dios Hospital, being diagnosed on July 14. He suffered from high blood pressure, diabetes and chronic kidney disease.
- A 76-year-old man, Costa Rican, resident of Heredia, interned at Ceaco. He was positive for COVID-19 on July 13. He suffered from high blood pressure and diabetes.
- A 74-year-old man, Costa Rican, a resident of San José. He was in the San Juan de Dios Hospital, being diagnosed on July 12. In addition to age, he had a history of cerebrovascular disease.
- A 71-year-old man, Costa Rican, a resident of Cartago. He was admitted to the San Juan de Dios Hospital. He received the diagnosis on July 2. He suffered from high blood pressure and asthma.
- A 66-year-old man, Costa Rican, a resident of San José. He was admitted to the Calderón Guardia Hospital, being diagnosed on July 9. He suffered from high blood pressure and obesity.
- A 40-year-old man, a foreigner, a resident of San José. He was admitted to the Hospital México, and was diagnosed on July 20. He suffered from high blood pressure, chronic kidney disease and obesity.
- A 94-year-old man, Costa Rican, a neighbor of Guanacaste. Interned at the Enrique Baltodano Hospital in Liberia; received the diagnosis on July 13. His only associated risk factor was age.
- An 85-year-old man, Costa Rican, a resident of San José. He was admitted to the San Juan de Dios Hospital, with a diagnosis of COVID-19 on July 23. In addition to age, he had arterial hypertension and diabetes as risk factors.
- A 63-year-old man, Costa Rican, resident of Heredia. He was interned at Ceaco. He received a diagnosis on July 14. He suffered from high blood pressure and diabetes.
- A 52-year-old man, Costa Rican, a resident of San José. He was treated at the Hospital Mexico, and received the diagnosis on July 21. He suffered from diabetes and kidney disease.
These data were released at the time that President Carlos Alvarado Quesada announced the opening of airports to international flights.
“We have to live with the virus for a while longer. It is part of the balance,” said Alvarado, who says he seeking to lessen the blow to the country of the pandemic from an economic point of view.
