No menu items!

COSTA RICA'S LEADING ENGLISH LANGUAGE NEWSPAPER

HomeNewsCosta RicaCosta Rica inaugurates coronavirus-specific hospital; total cases reach 347

Costa Rica inaugurates coronavirus-specific hospital; total cases reach 347

Costa Rica on Tuesday inaugurated a medical center that will exclusively treat patients with COVID-19.

The facilities were created in less than two weeks by remodeling the National Rehabilitation Center (CENARE) in San José. They will house patients who test positive for COVID-19 who require hospitalization and specialized care.

CENARE was retrofitted with a new fiber optic network to support telemedicine, a remote monitoring system and other medical equipment — including ventilators and portable radiograph machines — to respond to the coronavirus pandemic.

The CENARE facility can house 44 patients, and its capacity will be doubled over the next two days, according to President Carlos Alvarado.

“We worked 24/7 for 11 days,” said Román Macaya, president of the Costa Rican Social Security System. “It’s part of our investment of more than $16 million to face this pandemic.”

Fifteen people in Costa Rica are currently hospitalized with COVID-19, but health authorities said they expect that number to rise over the coming weeks.

“Our health system is capable of uniting to create additional capacity to eventually use if necessary,” said Health Minister Daniel Salas. “We are also capable, as a society, to follow the recommendations of health authorities to limit how much we need to use a facility like this.”

Costa Rica confirms 347 cases of coronavirus

Costa Rica has confirmed 347 cases of the novel coronavirus, the Health Ministry announced Tuesday afternoon.

The figure marks a 17-person increase over the same time Monday.

In addition, 15 people are currently hospitalized with COVID-19 — eight of them in intensive care. The age range of those in intensive care is from 36 to 69 years old, according to the Health Ministry.

Costa Rica coronavirus cases
Tico Times graph.

Two elderly adults have died after contracting COVID-19, and four people have recovered — meaning Costa Rica has 341 active cases.

The 347 total cases are located in 52 cantons across all seven of Costa Rica’s provinces.

Below is a map of cantons with confirmed COVID-19 cases. Click on a blue marker for more information:

If you believe you may have contracted COVID-19 or have questions regarding the coronavirus, contact Costa Rican health authorities by dialing 1322.

Official COVID-19 (coronavirus) data for Costa Rica.
Via the Health Ministry.

Popular Articles

Panama Declares State of Emergency After Chiquita Banana Strike

The government of Panama declared a "state of emergency" on Tuesday in a Caribbean province where a subsidiary of U.S.-based banana company Chiquita Brands...

Costa Rica Celebrates EU’s Low-Risk Deforestation Classification

Costa Rica just scored a big win for its farmers and exporters. The European Union classified the country as low-risk for deforestation under its...

Banana Workers in Panama Reject President’s Demand to End Protests

Workers in Panama at a subsidiary of the U.S.-based banana company Chiquita Brands rejected on Friday President José Raúl Mulino’s demand to reopen roads...
spot_img
Costa Rica Tours
Costa Rica Coffee Maker Chorreador
Costa Rica Coffee Maker Chorreador
Costa Rica Travel Insurance
Costa Rica Rocking Chait
Costa Rica Travel

Latest Articles