Costa Rica confirmed 310 new cases of the coronavirus over the past day, totaling 4,621 cumulative known cases, the Health Ministry announced Saturday afternoon.
The 310 new cases are the largest day-over-day increase announced by Costa Rica during the pandemic. Seventy-three people remain hospitalized with COVID-19.
Sixty-four 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 2,882 active cases and 1,721 recoveries.
Eighteen people have died in Costa Rica after contracting the coronavirus, including one death Thursday. The data mean Costa Rica has 0.35 coronavirus deaths per 100,000 people.
Ten 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.
“We are entering a phase where the logistical intensity to manage patients is going to increase,” Román Macaya, president of the Social Security System (CCSS), said Friday.
Macaya noted that nearly all hospitalized patients have at least one risk factor, with hypertension, diabetes, obesity and smoking being the most common.
Active coronavirus cases in Costa Rica
During its Saturday press conference, the Health Ministry did not provide detailed information on the locations of the new positive cases or the amount of tests processed.
The recent spike in cases corresponds with both an increase in testing and with a higher test-positivity rate, according to officials. From June 24 through July 3, Costa Rica averaged 878 tests and 194 new known cases daily.
The Health Ministry considers the Greater Metropolitan Area (GAM) as the country’s current epicenter and believes there is community transmission in that region. Much of the GAM is under an orange alert.
The below graphic will update automatically when the Health Ministry releases its full report later this afternoon.
