Costa Rica suffered 28 new coronavirus-related deaths between Wednesday and Friday for a total of 1,690, according to official data released Friday afternoon by the Health Ministry.
Five-hundred and thirteen people are currently hospitalized with COVID-19; 22o are in intensive care. Both represent increases over the mid-week update.
The 220 patients in the ICU represents 61% of Costa Rica’s total capacity.
The Health Ministry has confirmed 137,093 total cases, including 1,330 on Wednesday, 1,222 on Thursday and 1,351 on Friday. At least 84,991 people have been cleared as recovered, though this number lags weeks behind the actual figure.
The data indicate Costa Rica has 33.1 COVID-19-related deaths per 100,000 people. The country is averaging 11.3 deaths each day in November (305 total).
Costa Rica’s outbreak in context
Costa Rica has the 46th-most new cases per 100,000 residents over the past seven days, according to data compiled by The New York Times. At 21.5 new cases per 100,000 people, this significantly trails the United States (49.6) but is higher than Canada (14.4).
About 1.2% of people who tested positive for the coronavirus in Costa Rica have died. The average age of Costa Rica’s coronavirus-related deaths is 70 years.
COVID-19 will be Costa Rica’s leading cause of death in 2020, surpassing acute myocardial infarctions (heart attacks), which killed 1,322 people last year.
An analysis more than 200 COVID-19-related deaths in Costa Rica, released in October, 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 61% of Costa Rica’s ICU beds are currently occupied.
The below graphic will update automatically as the Health Ministry releases new coronavirus data. Remember, coronavirus updates now happen twice a week, but this graph updates daily:
If you believe you have COVID-19, contact Costa Rica’s hotline at 1322. English-speaking staff and mental health professionals are available. Visit the Costa Rican Presidency for the official list of coronavirus measures and alerts.
