Chile registers 775 cases, 8 deaths from COVID-19

SANTIAGO, Sept. 26 (Xinhua) -- Chile reported 775 new cases and eight more deaths from the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) on Sunday, for a total 1,651,750 infections and 37,440 fatalities, the Ministry of Health reported.

The ministry stated that COVID-19 cases have risen by 28 percent nationwide over the last seven days, although hospitalizations remain at low levels thanks to widespread vaccination against the disease.

A total of 4,486 people are in the active stage of the disease and 391 patients are currently hospitalized, including 291 on ventilators.

The ministry reported that 15 of the 16 regions of the country presented a positivity rate for the disease of equal to or less than 1 percent in the past 24 hours, with the exception of the southern region of Aysen, which registered 2 percent.

The Chilean regions with the highest positivity in the last seven days are Antofagasta, Arica, Parinacota, Aysen, and the Santiago Metropolitan region.

Health authorities have called on the Chilean population to continue with self-care measures while mass vaccination efforts continue and urged citizens to get tested for COVID-19 even if they do not present symptoms of the disease in order to strengthen the search for active cases.