Chile registers 2,289 new COVID-19 cases

SANTIAGO, Jan. 3 (Xinhua) -- Chile registered 2,289 new cases of COVID-19 in 24 hours, for a total of 618,191 cases, as well as another 43 deaths, bringing the death toll to 16,767, the Ministry of Health reported on Sunday.

The ministry said that of the total confirmed cases, 584,457 patients had recovered from the disease, while 16,620 were in the active stage.

According to the ministry, in the last seven days, infections increased by 24 percent, and increased 30 percent in the last two weeks.

Additionally, 781 people were currently hospitalized in intensive care units, including 614 patients on ventilators and 62 in critical condition.

As to a possible second wave of infections, which experts said would occur this month, Minister of Health Enrique Paris said that following protection measures is key to controlling the outbreak, while vaccines continue to be delivered to critical health personnel.