Data from Health Department established today hospital admissions for COVID-19 in Puerto Rico out of 500 cases, going back to a setting from July last year. This is an exponential increase compared to previous weeks, where the number was no more than 150 hospital admissions.
For today, Sunday, April 18, 2021, the health department records that 509 people have been hospitalized in Puerto Rico for COVID-19, including 46 minors. For minors, this is an increase of 10 hospitalizations in the past 24 hours.
Puerto Rico had more than 500 hospitalizations in July 2020 and more than 600 hospitalizations in November. Subsequently, these data, along with others that allow us to measure the behavior of the pandemic, were reduced, but since March the scientists working on the emergency have been warning of a pandemic that would increase the number of cases exponentially.
Given the recovery of the business, the government has chosen to keep all sectors running, but since yesterday the capacity in closed places such as restaurant halls, beauty salons or churches has been reduced to 30%. The hours of commercial operations were also reduced to 9 at night.
Of the 509 hospitalized people, 96 are in intensive care, including 4 minors, and 67 on ventilator, including two minors.
The Hospital Association had released a statement over the weekend asking people not to leave their homes if there was no need to curb the infection rate. The Infectious Diseases Society has asked people to avoid travel, avoid family gatherings, avoid activities such as singing in enclosed, air-conditioned spaces, among other recommendations.