Costa Rica marks one year after first confirmed from Covid-19 case
Mar 07, 2021
San Jose [Costa Rica], March 7 (ANI/Xinhua): Costa Rica on Saturday marked one year since the first confirmed case of the novel coronavirus disease (Covid-19) was discovered in the country.
Since then, the country has registered 206,640 cases and 2,833 deaths, an average of 566 cases and 7.7 deaths each day over the last year, according to the Ministry of Health.
According to the latest report from the Central American Population Center of the University of Costa Rica, the reproduction rate of the virus has stayed below 1 since the beginning of the year, meaning the spread of the disease has slowed significantly and could be nearing extinction.
However, Costa Rican health authorities are concerned due to the fact that, in December, public hospitals around the country were reported as being near maximum capacity.
On Saturday, there were 244 patients hospitalized with COVID-19, with 133 of them in intensive care units, according to the health ministry.
Costa Rica's vaccination program continues to advance, with a focus on healthcare workers and adults over the age of 58, and the latest reports show that 149,812 vaccines had been applied so far.
The government of Costa Rica organized on Friday night a tribute to the victims of COVID-19, with President Carlos Alvarado holding a moment of silence for the 2,833 lives lost.
"Costa Rica will get ahead and get ahead better if we come out as one country, united, fighting this pandemic, as we have done for the last year," the president said. (ANI/Xinhua)
