Costa Rica coronavirus updates for Monday, October 19

Costa Rica announced 36 new coronavirus-related deaths since Friday for a total of 1,204, according to official data released Monday afternoon by the Health Ministry.

Five-hundred and fifty-one people are currently hospitalized with COVID-19; 214 are in intensive care.

The Health Ministry confirmed 929 new cases on Sunday and 632 on Monday for a cumulative total of 97,075.

A total of 59,580 people have been cleared as recovered; however, this figure does not include about a month’s worth of patients, according to health authorities.

The data indicate Costa Rica has 23.6 COVID-19-related deaths per 100,000 people. The country is averaging 15.7 deaths each day since September 1 (768 total).

Protocols will allow for recreational sports

Costa Rica has approved protocols for a variety of recreational sports, including swimming, youth soccer, tennis and others.

As of November 1, synthetic fields will be allowed to host recreational games of mete-gol, a non-contact approximation of soccer, announced Hernán Solano, Sports Minister.

Costa Rica’s outbreak in context

Costa Rica has the 18th-most new cases per 100,000 residents over the past seven days, according to data compiled by The New York Times.

About 1.2% of people who tested positive for the coronavirus in Costa Rica have died. The deaths comprise 402 adults, 800 elderly adults, and two children.

The average age of Costa Rica’s coronavirus-related deaths is 70 years.

An analysis of 212 COVID-19-related deaths in Costa Rica, released last week, confirmed 90% of them were caused by the virus or an associated complication, while 9% had died of unrelated causes. This case-by-case analysis is ongoing.

Costa Rica has 359 intensive-care beds and 986 beds for less-complex coronavirus hospitalizations. This means 60% of Costa Rica’s ICU beds are currently occupied.

The below graph shows Costa Rica’s approximate test-positivity rate (the fraction of tests that come back positive) as of Tuesday, October 12. The Tico Times calculates daily positivity using Health Ministry data as follows:

(People testing positive) ÷ (People testing positive + people testing negative)

Note that the actual number of daily tests is higher than indicated on the chart, because one person can be tested multiple times.

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.

Costa Rica coronavirus test positivity rate on October 12, 2020. Tico Times graph.

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.