MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Number of Covid-19 cases on the rise in Uruguay

It is important to complete the indicated scheme and receive the booster dose according to the recommendation,” Satdjian wrote on social media

Uruguayan health authorities Monday announced the country had detected over 8,900 cases of Covid-19 last week for a total of 1,020,161 confirmed infections since the onset of the pandemic.

According to Uruguay's Health Ministry (MSP), 8,957 new Covid-19 infections were reported between December 25 and 31, thus surpassing the 8,216 cases reported the previous week. The MSP also said 8,285 cases remained active.

In the last week of 2022, 28,464 coronavirus tests were performed, 31.5% of them coming out positive, while the percentage of patients hospitalized in intensive care with Covid-19 went up from 2.7 to 4.9 %.

Amid the growing number of cases, Health Minister Daniel Salinas said last month that Covid-19 was “totally under control” in the South American country.

However, the MSP brought forward the administration of the fifth dose of Covid-19 vaccine for people aged over 50 and for those immunocompromised. The sanitary campaign was initially scheduled for the first quarter of 2023.

In Montevideo, vaccination teams were deployed to vaccinate some 7,000 senior citizens in 520 homes, while other campaigns were launched elsewhere.

After midday, the

“Vaccination began throughout the country for people over 80 years old and immunocompromised according to the list published by the MSP. It is important to complete the indicated scheme and receive the booster dose according to the recommendation,” Health Undersecretary José Luis Satdjian wrote on social media.

“Vaccination with booster doses for immunocompromised people and those over 80 years of age is being carried out throughout the country,” the MSP also said on Twitter.

So far, 7,570 people have died of Covid-19 in Uruguay.