Costa Rica confirmed 139 new cases of the coronavirus over the past day, totaling 3,269 cumulative known cases, the Health Ministry announced Monday afternoon.
Twenty-eight more people have been classified as recovered under Costa Rica’s definitions that qualify certain patients based on time rather than a negative test.
Costa Rica has 1,860 active cases and 1,394 recoveries.
Fifteen people have died in Costa Rica after contracting the coronavirus. The data mean Costa Rica has 2.93 coronavirus deaths per 1,000,000 people.
Forty people are hospitalized with COVID-19, the highest figure reported during the crisis. Four people are in intensive care.
The Costa Rican Social Security System (CCSS) is currently transporting additional patients to its coronavirus-specific hospital (CEACO) in San José, according to Mario Ruíz, the institution’s medical manager.
“It has been several days without seeing an exponential rise in cases,” Health Minister Daniel Salas said Monday. “However, are now seeing a rise in hospital demand — not necessarily in intensive-care beds, but intermediate care like at CEACO.”
Ruíz has indicated that CCSS models show the country’s intensive-care capacity could reach saturation points if new cases remain elevated over several weeks.
Active coronavirus cases in Costa Rica
During its Monday press conference, the Health Ministry did not provide detailed information on the locations of the new positive cases or the amount of tests processed.
The recent spike in cases corresponds with both a general increase in testing and with a higher test-positivity rate, according to the CCSS.
Details regarding the Health Ministry’s mass-testing efforts in the San José district of Pavas will be announced Tuesday, Salas said.
The below graphic will update automatically with that information when the Health Ministry releases its full report later this afternoon.
