The Health Department confirmed this Thursday that the number of positive cases of coronavirus COVID-19 in Puerto Rico increased to 64, while anticipating that this number could continue to rise “at any time.”
This is because the agency waits for the result of 355 exams, of the 776 made. Of this total, 377 were negative. Deaths from the disease on the island number two.
Health defended that most of the tests pending results were carried out in private laboratories. However, the agency did not specify the total number of tests done and pending in its laboratory.
The statement also offered no progress on the tests worked by the municipalities, but the mayor of San Juan, Carmen Yulín Cruz reported this morning in a radio interview (WKAQ – 580 AM) that a patient from the Municipal Hospital of the capital gave a positive test. Eric Perlloni, spokesman for Health, told The new day that until yesterday the department had not received that information, so it is not in the statistics.
“The number of positives could increase at any time, so we must be very careful and rigorous with all the measures that are being taken at the individual level. Staying at home, avoiding contact with others, washing hands frequently and practicing personal hygiene habits, as well as cleaning surfaces, are key at this stage.“said the interim secretary of Health, Concepción Quiñones de Longo.
The official noted that the new cases correspond to tests carried out by the Public Health Laboratory. The positive figures of the Veterans Hospital and private laboratories did not reflect changes.
“Of the 13 new positives, six belong to the metropolitan region, four to Bayamón, one to Arecibo, one to Caguas and another to Mayagüez. Seven of these are male, while six are female”, Health explained.
Quiñones de Longo explained that the age group with the most infections in Puerto Rico is 50 to 69 years old and that the metropolitan region is the most that has reported cases.
For his part, the director of the La Fortaleza medical task force, Dr. Segundo Rodríguez Quilinchini, indicated that citizens cannot lower their guard against the virus.
“This is a race for life that we have to beat the coronavirus”, stressed the doctor.
Several health experts criticized the government for the lack of transparency in providing data on confirmed cases.
Since last week, the government has not held a press conference to detail the progress of the medical response, nor has it specified the geographic data of those infected.
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