Costa Rica announces three coronavirus deaths in less than 24 hours

Three women died of COVID-19 in Costa Rica this weekend, bringing the country’s death total due to the coronavirus pandemic to 15 people, the Health Ministry announced.

The three deaths in a 24-hour span ended nearly three weeks in Costa Rica without a victim of COVID-19.

The Health Ministry offered the following details on the cases:

• On Saturday morning, a 78-year-old Costa Rican, resident of Guanacaste, died while in intensive care at Hospital San Juan de Dios. She tested positive for the coronavirus on June 24 and had preexisting conditions, including hypertension.
• On Saturday evening, an 87-year-old Costa Rican, resident of San José province, died at the country’s coronavirus-specific hospital (CEACO), where she had been hospitalized since June 25. In addition to her age, she had “underlying conditions” that complicated her condition.
• On Sunday morning, a 48-year-old foreigner, resident of Heredia, died while in intensive care at Hospital México, where she had been hospitalized since June 23. Diabetes and hypertension were risk factors complicating her condition.

Costa Rica has registered 15 known deaths related to the coronavirus: six women and nine men with an age range of 26 to 87 years.

The data mean Costa Rica has 2.93 coronavirus deaths per 1,000,000 people.

The Central American country is currently facing a second pandemic wave, the Health Ministry said earlier this month. Through Saturday, Costa Rica had 1,641 known active coronavirus cases and 36 hospitalizations — both the highest figures during the crisis.

Health authorities have said that hypertension and smoking are the biggest risk factors for patients infected in Costa Rica by SARS-CoV-2.

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