Costa Rica confirmed 504 new cases of the coronavirus over the past day, totaling 8,986 cumulative known cases, the Health Ministry announced Wednesday afternoon.
One-hundred and eighty-eight people are hospitalized with COVID-19 with 31 in intensive care, both new highs.
One-hundred and ten 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 6,395 active cases and 2,551 recoveries.
Forty people have died in Costa Rica after contracting the coronavirus, including three deaths Wednesday. The data indicate Costa Rica has 0.78 COVID-19-related deaths per 100,000 people.
Two of the patients currently hospitalized at intensive-care units are children. The Health Ministry said Wednesday that both recently experienced improvements in their conditions.
As of Tuesday, 81 of the 88 intermediate-care beds at Costa Rica’s coronavirus-specific hospital (CEACO) are occupied. Forty-eight new beds will be added through a partnership with the National Insurance Institute’s (INS) Trauma Hospital, authorities said Wednesday.
In addition to the intermediate-care capacity at CEACO, Costa Rica’s Social Security System (CCSS) has plans to create up to 159 more ICU beds for coronavirus patients at various public hospitals, including at a new tower at Calderón Guardia Hospital in San José.
Most hospitalized patients have at least one risk factor, with hypertension, diabetes, obesity and smoking being the most common.
Costa Rica details three more deaths
The Health Ministry detailed three more COVID-19-related deaths on Wednesday:
- A 71-year-old woman died at San Juan de Dios Hospital.
- A 53-year-old man died at San Juan de Dios Hospital.
- An 82-year-old man died at CEACO.
All were residents of San José province and had risk factors that potentially complicated their diagnosis.
Active coronavirus cases in Costa Rica
The recent spike in cases corresponds with both an increase in testing and with a higher test-positivity rate, as shown in the below graph:
The Greater Metropolitan Area — particularly the district of Pavas — is the country’s current epicenter. The entire GAM and much of Costa Rica are under an Orange Alert and have strict health measures, including driving bans.
Costa Rica has processed 61,216 tests as of Tuesday (12 tests per 1,000 people).
During its Wednesday press conference, the Health Ministry did not provide full detailed information on the locations of the new positive cases or the amount of tests processed. The below graphic will update automatically when the Health Ministry releases that information later this afternoon.
