SANTIAGO – Chile on Thursday overtook Germany and Iran to become the 9th country with highest number of coronavirus cases in the world.
The Ministry of Health reported 4,475 new cases of coronavirus, bringing the total number of infected people to 225,103 since last March 3, when the so-called ‘patient 0’ was reported.
In addition, 226 deaths due to COVID-19 were reported, bringing the total number to 3,841.
Health Minister Enrique Paris emphasized that the Minsal campaign will continue to focus on “detecting cases by doing many exams and tracing them in order to be isolated.”
According to the Undersecretary of Public Health, Paula Daza, there are 353 mechanical ventilators available in the country and 1,572 patients connected to mechanical ventilation. Daza added that there are currently 10,933 rooms available in 139 healthcare residences across the country.
Likewise, in the last 24 hours, 16,997 PCR tests were reported, reaching a total of 903,166.
On Wednesday, the Chilean authorities announced that five new communes will enter a mandatory quarantine: San Felipe and Los Andes, in the Valparaíso Region, Rancagua and Machalí, in the O’Higgins Region, and the urban radius of Curicó, in the Maule.
Along these same lines, the undersecretary for Crime Prevention, Katherine Martorell, reported the reduction of individual permits from 5 to 2 per person, during the daytime per week. Also, the safe conducts may only be used for funeral or medical procedures, and the sole work permit will be requested from public officials and workers in food services and essential commerce.
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