Costa Rica has confirmed 539 total cases of the novel coronavirus, the Health Ministry announced Thursday afternoon.
The figure marks a 37-person increase over the same time Wednesday and is the largest day-to-day increase that Costa Rica has recorded.
Nineteen people are currently hospitalized with COVID-19 — 13 of them in intensive care. The age range of patients in intensive care is from 35 to 85 years old.
Three people — including a 45-year-old with no underlying health risks — have died after contracting COVID-19, and 30 people have recovered, meaning Costa Rica has 506 active cases.
The majority of Costa Rica’s known coronavirus cases are located in the provinces of San José and Alajuela. Below is a map of confirmed cases by canton:
Health Minister Daniel Salas suggested the jump in cases is related to the large gatherings of people at shopping centers late last week — before the strict Semana Santa travel restrictions began.
“Remember that the virus has a typical incubation of period of five or six days,” Salas said. “When we indicated last week that there would be closures and restrictions for Semana Santa, there were mass agglomerations in supermarkets and stores.”
If you believe you may have contracted COVID-19 or have questions regarding the coronavirus, contact Costa Rican health authorities by dialing 1322.
