Costa Rica announced 13 new coronavirus-related deaths over the last day for a total of 917, according to official data released Thursday afternoon by the Health Ministry.
Five-hundred and seventy-two people are currently hospitalized with COVID-19; 221 are in intensive care. Both represent decreases compared to Wednesday.
The Health Ministry confirmed 1,068 new cases, of which 794 were identified via a lab test, for a total of 76,828.
A total of 39,843 people have been cleared as recovered; authorities say this figure lags behind the actual tally. Costa Rica has 36,072 known active cases.
The data indicate Costa Rica has 18 COVID-19-related deaths per 100,000 people. The country is averaging 15.6 deaths each day in September (481 total), including double-digit deaths for 19 straight days.
Costa Rica has 359 intensive-care beds and 986 beds for less-complex coronavirus hospitalizations. This means 62% of Costa Rica’s ICU beds are currently occupied.
Costa Rica’s outbreak in a global context
Costa Rica has the eighth-most new cases per 100,000 residents over the past seven days, according to data compiled by The New York Times. Only Israel, Andorra, Bahrain, Aruba, Montenegro, Argentina and Spain have more new cases per 100,000 residents over the last week.
About 1.2% of people who tested positive for the coronavirus in Costa Rica have died. The 904 deaths comprise 295 adults and 622 elderly adults.
The below graph shows Costa Rica’s test-positivity rate (the fraction of tests that come back positive) as of Saturday, September 26. The Tico Times calculates daily positivity using Health Ministry data as follows:
(People testing positive) ÷ (People testing positive + people testing negative)
The World Health Organization recommends testing enough to keep the positivity rate under 5%; Costa Rica’s high test-positivity rate suggests it’s missing milder or asymptomatic cases, allowing the coronavirus to continue to spread.
We’ll update this weekly.
The below graphic will update automatically as the Health Ministry releases new coronavirus data.
If you believe you have COVID-19, contact Costa Rica’s hotline at 1322. English-speaking staff and mental health professionals are available.
