Two months have passed since the first case of Covid-19 was confirmed in Costa Rica. As of May 6th the country reports 761 confirmed cases out of which 428 have already recovered. 9,412 people have tested negative. Six patients have died and as of today 18 people are hospitalized out of which five are in the intensive care unit.

Daniel Salas, Minister of Health, referred today to the strategy the country has taken, a scientific approach following epidemiological guidelines that map the road to the identification and follow up of cases, guidelines that have been updated as the situation evolves.

Salas explained that in addition to applying tests for the identification of epidemiological nexus, they are carrying out tests in sentinel surveillance areas (Selected reporting units, with a high probability of seeing cases of the disease), also on people that have been repatriated, potential “hot spots” and haulers that enter the country, strategy that has allowed the timely diagnose of patients and in this way break the chains of transmission.

Next week the government will proceed with testing in “areas of risk”, identified as such due to the number of population and also border communities, there are 33 areas identified as areas of risk.

The number of people that test positive for every 100 tests applied is of close to 6%, the number of people that are infected by every positive patient is of 1.15.

The country right now has a capacity of processing close to 2,500 tests a day and could increase to as much as 4,000 tests a day if needed.

The Minister highlighted that all guidelines applied have been adapted according to the epidemiological stage the country is in, in the event of community spread the guidelines will be adapted to diagnose by nexus.

“If we are responsible and we do it right we will maintain this positive route. We cannot relax, the minute we start thinking we have a positive curve then it’s over, we are all doing this, together”, concluded Salas.