Coronavirus deaths rise to 2 as 87 test positive for Covid-19


Booking.com	Published Friday, March 20, 2020 Coronavirus deaths rise to 2 as 87 test positive for Covid-19 By the A.M. Costa Rica staff Ministry of Health confirmed on Thursday the second patient killed by Covid-19. An elderly Costa Rican man, 87, was hospitalized in the intensive care room at San Rafael Hospital in Alajuela Province. In addition to being infected with the virus, this patient had heart problems. It is a coincidence that the first two deaths infected with coronavirus had similar characteristics in age and place of death, authorities said. The first death of a patient infected with coronavirus covid-19 in the country was reported on Wednesday. The patient also was Costa Rican man, 87, who was hospitalized in intensive care at the same Hospital in Alajuela. Authorities did not provide more the summaries on these cases of death due to the coronavirus covid-19 in the country. On Thursday experts confirmed 18 new cases of people infected with covid-19. The country faces 87 infected people. Five of the infected patients are still hospitalized, of those infected two are in intensive care. The name of the hospital where the patients are being treated was not provided by authorities. According to the statistics provided on Thursday, of the 87 patients, 35 are women (40%) and 52 are men (60%). Concerning nationality, 79 are Costa Rican and eight are foreigners. Authorities did not provide further information on the condition of the patients. The ages of patients infected with covid-19 range from two to 87. Among these are seven children under the age of 13. There is also a U.S. woman, 73, and six 70- year-old Costa Ricans. The rest of the 73 infected are adults. The virus has spread across the country. Authorities confirmed cases in 23 cantons in six provinces. Previously experts reported 25 cantons in five provinces but that data was revised and updated on Thursday. 951 people classified as suspects were ruled out after lab tests resulted negative. New preventative measures to fight against the fast spread of the coronavirus are going to start this weekend, announced government authorities on Thursday. Among the new measures are closure of movie theaters, theaters and community parks. Additionally, malls and shopping centers must only allow 50% of its capacity inside their buildings. Government has also put in place strict border closures, where only the entrance of Costa Ricans and foreign residents are allowed. Police will carry out surveillance operations at all borders and ports to ensure no foreigners enter the country. Authorities reported the entry of 310 Costa Ricans and 17 foreign residents on Thursday. All of them were ordered to be quarantined in their homes for 14 days. Additional measures to avoid crowds in public places like restaurants or bars during this week left police having issued 181 orders to close commercial shops for not complying with the security rules established by the Ministry of Health. According to article No.277 of the Penal Law, people who do not respect the new sanitary orders could face prison of 1 to 3 years, said Vice President Epsy Campbell. Authorities clarify, once again, that there is still no cure, medicine or treatment to avoid or control coronavirus covid-19. The experts call on people not to believe in fake news. The trustworthy data on the evolution of the coronavirus in Costa Rica, or about the worldwide advances to find a possible cure, is published daily by official institutions such as the Ministry of Security or Social Security, said the authorities. ------------------------------- Should authorities investigate the people who are spreading false news about the covid-19 coronavirus? We would like to know your thoughts on this story. Send your comments to news@amcostarica.com