(QCOSTARICA) The numbers keep piling up. This Thursday, July 2, another 270 new confirmed cases of COVID-19 are registered, for total accumulated cases of 4,023 counted from March 6.
There are 1,589 recovered, 60 hospitalized, six of them in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU).
Seventeen people have died.
Daniel Salas, Minister of Health, declared a “precautionary” community transmission for the Greater Metropolitan Area (GAM), given the number of cases registered in recent days.
The advance of infections has prevented the investigation of 65% of those detected this week.
“This is so that people understand that they have to take care of themselves because the risk of becoming infected is the highest since the beginning of the pandemic.
“This means: People, we have to take better care of ourselves,” Salas warned.
According to the Minister, the precautionary statement was made according to guidelines of the World Health Organization (WHO), given the large number of cases that have not been able to establish its transmission chains.
Salas was clear, this situation has been reached due to the violation of social bubbles and basic measures, because people who have a cough or fever do not stay home, but go out and expose themselves, and this causes more transmission chains.
“Most of the people respect (the recommendations), but it is important to indicate that in the midst of this escalation, we have not been able to issue all the sanitary orders. We are exceeding the capacity of the Health governing areas, ”said Salas.
For this reason, the minister called people who are suspected of having the virus or contagion contacts to remain in their home, even if they do not have the health order, out of respect and solidarity.
As announced Wednesday by President Carlos Alvarado, the government announced today stricter measures for an expanded area of “orange alert”, while the rest of the country can continue with phase 3.
Among the notable changes that effect on Friday, July 3 and continuing to July 13, are the vehicular restrictions change to 5:00 am to 7:00 pm every day, the mandatory use of a facemask or face shield in supermarkets and retail stores.
See all the changes here: Costa Rica “Hammers” Down For 10 Days