Health Dept. registers 8 COVID-19 deaths, 589 cases – Caribbean Business

Secretary expects increased restrictions in new executive order

SAN JUAN – On Wednesday, the Department of Health reported eight additional deaths from COVID-19 as well as 403 confirmed and 186 probable cases.

Health Secretary Lorenzo González Feliciano said in a NotiUno radio interview, CyberNews reports, that he expected the governor's next executive order to come with stricter measures to curb the spread of the virus, after confirming “the increase in deaths in Puerto Rico” and adding that the percentage of positive cases on the island did not drop to the 5 percent that was expected. ”

Of the deaths reported, seven were confirmed through diagnstic testing and listed as follows by the Health Department:

• 75-year-old woman from the Aguadilla region
• 83-year-old man from the Fajardo region [19659008] 64-year-old man from the Ponce region
• 78-year-old man from the Metro region
• 81-year-old man from the Metro region
• 51-year-old woman from the Metro region
• 76-year-old man from the Metro region

The other registered death, an 81-year-old man from the Fajardo region, was deemed probably due to the disease by a medical professional but has yet to be confirmed by diagnostic test.
To date the number of confirmed deaths has risen to 174 and the probable deaths are 121, so the total number of deaths is 295. It is important to remember that any death registered after the report is issued will be reflected in subsequent reports.

"The change in the number of deaths should not be interpreted as having occurred in the last 24 hours," the department said. “Similarly, it is important to note that the death report may vary, as the processes of registration and codification of causes of death occur, which could take several days.”

Summary of the Department of Health report:

• Additional confirmed cases: 403
• Total confirmed cases: 10,169
• Additional probable cases: 186
• Total probable cases: 13,905
• Additional confirmed deaths: 7
• Total confirmed deaths: 174
• Additional probable deaths : 1
• Total Probable Deaths: 121
• Total reported deaths: 295

For more information, visit the Health Department's website at http://www.salud.gov.pr/Pages/coronavirus. aspx .