Another disconcerting day for Colombia as Saturday’s COVID-19 tally from the Ministry of Health reveals an additional 139 confirmed cases of the disease raising the national total to 1406. In the daily bulletin of data compiled by the National Institute of Health (INS) of the 139 confirmed new cases of coronavirus, Bogotá has 108 infected patients followed by the department of Valle del Cauca with 14, Boyacá 7, Antioquia 4, Cundinamarca 3, Huila 2 and one in Córdoba.
The total number of cases as of Saturday in the Colombian capital is 695, almost half the nation’s total.
The death toll also increased to 32 from Friday’s 25. The victims, five men and four women, between the ages of 64 and 84 died in Barranquilla, Villapinzón, Tunja, Cúcuta, Montería and Bogotá.
Friday marked the second-worst day for infections in the country after 159 were reported on March 20. According to INS data, 52 patients are in Intensive Care, 117 being treated in hospitals and 1115 receiving home care. On a positive note, 85 patients have recovered.
On Friday, President Iván Duque visited Corferias, Bogotá’s centrally-located trade and exhibition grounds to see first-hand work to convert 90,000 square meters of floor space into a temporary hospital for less critical COVID-19 cases. Corferias will be equipped with up to 3,000 beds. The capital currently has 1,000 ICU units with plans to increase capacity in upcoming weeks to 4,000.
President Duque also visited the country’s largest military hospital which will receive civilians during the medical emergency. Hospital Militar has also set up a field hospital on the grounds of the facility to help relieve city hospitals with the expected overcapacity of infected patients.
