Costa Rica confirmed 270 new cases of the coronavirus over the past day, totaling 4,023 cumulative known cases, the Health Ministry announced Thursday afternoon.
The 270 new cases are the second-largest day-over-day increase announced by Costa Rica during the pandemic, trailing only Wednesday’s 294. Sixty people are currently hospitalized with COVID-19, a new high.
Seventy-three 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 2,417 active cases and 1,589 recoveries.
Seventeen people have died in Costa Rica after contracting the coronavirus, including one death Wednesday. The data mean Costa Rica has 0.33 coronavirus deaths per 100,000 people.
Six people are currently in intensive care.
The Health Ministry has indicated its 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 Thursday press conference, the Health Ministry did not provide detailed information on the locations of the new positive cases or the amount of tests processed.
However, the Health Ministry said it considers the Greater Metropolitan Area (GAM) as the country’s current epicenter and believes there is community transmission in that region.
The GAM, which includes the capital of San José, is home to about half of all Costa Ricans.
The recent spike in cases corresponds with both a general increase in testing and with a higher test-positivity rate, according to officials. From June 23 through July 1, Costa Rica averaged 774 tests and 164 new cases daily.
The below graphic will update automatically when the Health Ministry releases its full report later this afternoon.
