A patient death and 12-hour wait for bed as Costa Rica covid-19 crisis worsens

On Wednesday, April 28, the record of Covid-19 infections in Costa Rica was broken again with 2,434 new cases, the highest number in the 14 months of the pandemic, said Health authorities.

This figure represents 507 more cases than on Tuesday when 1,927 infections were registered.

There are 40,184 active cases according to the epidemiological report of the Ministry of Health.

Sixteen deaths in 24 hours brought the total to 3,202. The hospitals of the Costa Rican Social Security Fund (CCSS) are operating at maximum capacity, with 818 patients (351 in ICU).

People have to wait up to more than 12 hours to get a space in the hospitals, an institution that has already begun to set up field hospitals and negotiate contracts with four private medical centers to care for non-covid patients.

Beds become available from patients who die.

(Information from Costa Rican media)