Colombia’s Health Minister confirms flattening of curve as cases reach 3105 nationwide

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With 3105 cases of coronavirus in the country as of Wednesday, Colombia’s Minister of Health and Social Protection Fernando Ruíz stated that the country has started witnessing a “flattening of the curve” and had the government not enacted quickly with the nationwide lockdown last month, the number of COVID-19 cases would have infected up to 90,000. “All the effort with preventive isolation of students and seniors above the age of 70 has allowed us to have an infection rate of 1.2 […], the challenge now is to finish the preventive isolation phase for intelligent isolation,” he said.

On Wednesday, the Ministry of Health confirmed 4 additional deaths putting the national total at 131. Among the recent fatalities are two healthcare workers in Cali: Jesús Antonio Cabrales, a 66-year-old general surgeon and Oscar González a 56-year old practitioner. In a statement from the Departmental Hospital Mario Correa Rengifo, Dr.Cabrales had no contact with COVID-19 cases inside the facility, indicating that the became infected with external patients. The Ministry of Health expressed a condolence message to their families stating: “Those who die fighting for the lives of others deserve all our recognition.”

Of the four deaths on Wednesday, three occurred in Cali and the other one in Pasto, Nariño. Cali is the second-most affected city in Colombia with 532 cases. Wednesday saw an increase of 19 new cases in the departmental capital of Valle del Cauca.

Wednesday’s 126 new coronavirus infections mark a slight lowering from  Tuesday’s official count of 127. And Bogotá, which on Tuesday reported 37 cases, confirmed 53 within the last 24 hours putting the new total at 1,291.

In the Ministry of Health bulletin, laboratories processed 3,205 COVID-19 tests and among the highest for a single daily since the outbreak on March 6.  The Ministry also confirmed that 452 patients of the virus have recovered.

 

 

 

 

 

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