The Ministry of Health confirmed 29,175 new cases of Covid-19, with a positivity rate of 20.18% in the last 24 hours nationwide, with 132,299 exams, PCR and antigen tests. The daily positivity in the Metropolitan Region, meanwhile, is 20.64%.
With an unprecedented number of infections, the Minister of Health, Enrique Paris, highlighted that during this current week “we have registered the highest testing figures since the start of the pandemic and today, Saturday, January 29, we can report 132,299 PCR tests and antigens, the largest number of tests carried out in a single day in Chile, during the last six days we have reported a total of 639,292 PCR tests and antigen tests.
“These figures are the result of the enormous work carried out by thousands of health officials and a network of more than 180 laboratories, which allows us to count a total of 29,689,847 tests for the detection of SARS-CoV-2 to date. in our country”, complemented the highest health authority in the country.
Minister Paris stressed the importance of carrying out tests to diagnose new cases and assured that “testing for the detection of SARS-CoV-2 has been and will continue to be one of the pillars to advance in the control of COVID-19”.
Along these lines, the Secretary of State stated that “through the approach carried out in our TTA strategy, we have strongly encouraged the importance of testing in the presence of symptoms and thereby detecting positive cases for timely isolation and follow-up.”
Of the total number of new cases, 25% are diagnosed by antigen test, 38% originate from Active Case Search (BAC) and 18% of those notified are asymptomatic. As for the Metropolitan Region, 23% are diagnosed by antigen, 34% by BAC and 14% of reported cases are asymptomatic.
The variation of new confirmed cases at the national level is 83% and 271% for the comparison of seven and fourteen days, respectively. Meanwhile, only one region decreases its new cases in the last seven days, but none does so compared to the last fourteen. The regions with the highest increase in cases are Los Lagos, Maule, Biobío and O’Higgins.
According to sample collection, the regions with the highest positivity in the last week are Tarapacá, Coquimbo, Antofagasta and Magallanes.
Meanwhile, the Arica and Parinacota region has the highest current incidence rate per 100,000 inhabitants, followed by the Magallanes, Tarapacá, and Antofagasta regions.
Minister Paris pointed out that “this new wave has affected the whole world, registering the largest number of cases of the entire pandemic globally, for our part, in Chile we are in the middle of the summer period, a time when we travel, socialize and relax the measures of self-care”.
As a result of this, the highest health authority in the country called on the population to maintain self-care. “Each one of us must reinforce and respect the sanitary measures that allow us to prevent the possibility of contagion, such as the correct use of the certified mask, avoiding those made of fabric, constant hand washing, avoiding places with crowds, always opting for outdoor activities maintaining the physical distance of at least 1 meter and get vaccinated with your booster dose, in the case of those who have not yet done so, “emphasized the Secretary of State.
39,653 deaths and 99,474 active cases
According to today’s report, of the total number of new cases of Covid-19, 15,674 correspond to symptomatic people and 3,503 do not present symptoms. In addition, 9,998 Positive PCR tests were registered that were not reported.
The total number of people who have been diagnosed with the virus in the country reaches 2,107,612. Of this total, 99,474 patients are in the active stage. The recovered cases are 1,961,936.
Regarding deaths, according to the information provided by the DEIS, in the last 24 hours there were 33 deaths from causes associated with the disease caused by coronavirus. The total number of deaths amounts to 39,653 in the country.
To date, 426 people are hospitalized in Intensive Care Units, of which 316 are supported by mechanical ventilation. In relation to the Integrated Health Network, there are a total of 305 critical beds available for the patient who requires it, regardless of the region where they are located.
Regarding the Laboratory Network and diagnostic capacity, the results of 132,299 PCR tests and antigen tests were reported yesterday, reaching a total of 29,689,847 analyzed nationwide to date. The positivity for the last 24 hours at the country level is 20.18% and in the Metropolitan Region it is 20.64%.
Regarding the Sanitary Residences, we have 47 accommodation facilities, with a total of 4,652 beds. The actual occupation at the national level is 58%, leaving a total of 1,464 beds available for use.
