Ross Brown/The Santiago Times Staff

SANTIAGO – Chile’s Ministry of Health on Thursday stated that in the last 24 hours 173 people died, reaching a total of 2,648 since the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic began in Chile this year.

As reported by the undersecretary of Assistance Networks, Arturo Zúñiga, the figure refers to the information given by the Civil Registry, who lost their lives on the following dates:

• June 9: 20 deaths

• June 8: 60 deaths

• June 7: 22 deaths

• Before June 7: 71 deaths

Zúñiga added that “this does not mean that these people have died in the last 24 hours, but that they refer to those registered yesterday in the Civil Registry.”

Regarding new cases of infections, the MINSAL official noted that 5,596 new cases were reported on the last day, of which 5,089 are symptomatic and 507 asymptomatic.

With this, the number of people with the disease rose to 154,092 across the country.

At the daily briefing, Minister Jaime Mañalich highlighted that the private health network has 1,019 ICU beds to attend to patients with the disease, highlighting that “what was requested from the private network has been long overcome and continues to grow.”

He added that the strategy of mass testing in the territory will be maintained, hinting that with this “it allows people to be identified so that they can carry out the corresponding isolation, also reinforced in health residences.”

Ministro Jaime Mañalich informa sobre cómo se ha reforzado la red asistencial sumando y reconvirtiendo camas como parte de la Red Integrada #COVID_19 pic.twitter.com/2Z76tdM6QS

— Ministerio de Salud (@ministeriosalud) June 11, 2020

On Wednesday, the ministry had announced new quarantines for eight communes in the country: Valparaíso, Viña del Mar and the urban areas of Pozo Almonte (Tarapacá Region), Melipilla, Peñaflor, Curacaví, Til Til and San José de Maipo (Metropolitan Region).

In addition, sanitary cords will be installed in Pirque and Alto Bío Bío.

About 9 million Chileans will remain in confinement after this measure will come into effect in the aforementioned areas starting at 10:00 pm on Friday, June 12.

Chile extends total quarantine to 50 communes after 192 new deaths