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Chile broke the record for new Covid-19 cases per day for the third consecutive day, registering 985 infections in the last 24 hours, the highest number since the start of the pandemic and bringing the total to 17,008.
Health Minister Jaime Mañalich attributed the increase in infections to the greater number of tests carried out in recent days, with the aim of finding asymptomatic infected people. 8,916 tests were carried out on Thursday, 80% more than on Monday.
“Identifying these (asymptomatic) people is of epidemiological importance because they can infect others,” the minister said at a daily press conference.
In the last 24 hours, seven more deaths were counted, increasing the total to 234. Currently, 428 patients are in intensive care, 327 of them connected to a mechanical ventilator.
“The proportion of patients with mechanical ventilators continues to decrease,” said Mañalich, who criticized people who traveled this weekend and called for respect for the quarantine and the “sanitary cord” in the capital, Santiago, the main focus of the pandemic. from the country.
“For the O’Higgins region, the city of Rancagua or any other, visiting someone from Santiago is very dangerous because the disease is concentrated in the capital. Our irresponsible attitude kills others, and we have to clearly understand this because this disease it will last for many months, “he declared.
