Puerto Rico sees 8 dead, 239 infected, as pace of coronavirus outbreak accelerates
For the third straight day, the pace of Puerto Rico’s infection rate from the coronavirus continued to accelerate, casting shadows over the healthcare system’s ability to manage a potential spike in demand.
The Health Department on Tuesday said it had confirmed 65 new cases, taking the total number of those suffering with the novel and deadly virus to 239. There were also two additional deaths: a 53-year-old woman from Bayamón and a 66-year-old woman in Caguas.
Since the coronavirus was first reported in this U.S. territory on March 13, it has killed eight people.
It took 15 days for the island to register its first 100 cases of the coronavirus, but only three days to hit its 200th infection. Despite the uptick, health officials say the spread would be far worse if Puerto Rico had not taken measures to enforce isolation and social distancing.
An island of 3.2 million, Puerto Rico has taken some of the most aggressive steps to stop of the coronavirus of any U.S. jurisdiction, shutting all non-essential businesses, canceling schools, closing its beaches and ordering residents to stay indoors. Those measures — along with others — will continue through at least April 12.
But it’s unclear if it will be enough. With an aging population and a weak healthcare system, hospitals are bracing for a potential spike in cases. And the government has been hounded by questions about why it hasn’t been able to ramp up testing or do more “contact tracing,” or tracking the potential spread of the virus through the community.
Amid the doubts and growing criticism, the island has burned through three Health Secretaries this month.
For the vast majority of people, the coronavirus produces flu-like symptoms. But in a significant minority — particularly the elderly and those with other health issues — it can cause respiratory problems that require hospitalization and, in extreme cases, the use of a ventilator.
Last week, the administration said there are 888 ventilators across the island, but it hasn’t said how many of those are functional.
As of March 31, the island had performed 2,289 tests, of which 1,195 have been negative, 239 have been positive, one was inconclusive and 854 are still pending.
This story was originally published March 31, 2020 at 8:43 AM.
