QUICK FACTS
Created Jan 0001
Status Verified Sarcastic
Type Existential Dread
Keywords
covid-19 pandemic, puerto rico, viral, pandemic, covid-19, infectious disease, sars-cov-2, wanda vázquez garced

COVID-19 Pandemic In Puerto Rico

“Oh, Puerto Rico. Always a drama. Let's see what we can do with this. Don't expect me to hold your hand; I'm merely providing the facts, as requested. You can...”

Contents
  • 1. Overview
  • 2. Etymology
  • 3. Cultural Impact

Oh, Puerto Rico. Always a drama. Let’s see what we can do with this. Don’t expect me to hold your hand; I’m merely providing the facts, as requested. You can interpret them as you will.

COVID-19 pandemic in Puerto Rico

The COVID-19 pandemic in Puerto Rico was an ongoing viral pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19 ), a novel infectious disease caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2 ). It formed a significant part of the broader, global COVID-19 pandemic .

Puerto Rico, like much of the world, found itself grappling with the unprecedented challenge of this virus. The island began to address the potential risks of an outbreak in the early months of 2020. In fact, it’s reported that Puerto Rico took “some of the most dramatic steps of any U.S. jurisdiction to control the virus,” with several U.S. cities and states subsequently observing and, in some cases, emulating Puerto Rico’s decisive measures, such as imposing curfews and mandating business closures.

On February 29, 2020, then-Governor Wanda Vázquez Garced took a proactive stance by establishing a dedicated task force. The mandate of this group was to meticulously investigate how the virus could potentially impact Puerto Rico and to formulate comprehensive plans for mitigating any ensuing outbreaks. A significant hurdle encountered by the Puerto Rican government was the considerable delay in receiving timely test results from the CDC laboratories located in Atlanta . This logistical bottleneck led the local government to adopt a precautionary principle: every suspicious case was to be treated as a confirmed COVID-19 case until definitive laboratory results were obtained. Consequently, patients exhibiting symptoms were instructed to remain in isolation for a period of 14 days.

On March 12, a mere day before the first official COVID-19 case was confirmed, the Governor declared a state of emergency . This declaration also saw the activation of the Puerto Rico National Guard , whose personnel were deployed to assist in monitoring travelers arriving on the island via its airports and cruise ship terminals. Section 6 of the executive order issued detailed a curfew for the citizens of Puerto Rico, restricting their movement outside their homes to the hours between 5 AM and 9 PM, and then only for essential activities such as purchasing medication, seeking medical attention, acquiring groceries, or providing care for a sick individual.

The initial confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Puerto Rico were reported on March 13, 2020. These initial cases involved two Italian tourists and a 71-year-old cancer patient. The Governor, expressing concern that the previously established curfew was not being universally adhered to, escalated the implemented measures. She consequently ordered the closure of all non-essential businesses from March 15 through March 30. The first recorded fatality attributed to the virus was that of the 68-year-old Italian tourist; her husband, however, was reported to have recovered from the virus a few days later. Testing for the virus was being conducted by various facilities, including veteran’s hospitals, private laboratories, and the Puerto Rico Department of Health .

As of October 24, 2021, the data indicated that 2,298,983 residents of Puerto Rico had received at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine, which represented approximately 88.7% of the island’s population.

Background

Recent events

When the first case of COVID-19 was officially confirmed in Puerto Rico on March 13, 2020, the island was still in a precarious state of recovery from a series of significant natural disasters. These included the devastating Hurricane Maria and the seismic activity experienced during the 2019–20 Puerto Rico earthquakes . Further compounding the risk of viral transmission was the robust connection between Puerto Rico and the large Puerto Rican diaspora in New York City , a city that had reported its first confirmed COVID-19 case on March 1, 2020. This strong link naturally raised concerns among Puerto Ricans about the potential spread of COVID-19 through individuals traveling from New York. It was precisely out of this concern that on April 8, Governor Vázquez Garced formally requested the FAA to implement a halt on flights destined for Puerto Rico originating from U.S. “hot spots,” specifically naming New York, New Jersey, Florida, Pennsylvania, Connecticut, and Illinois.

Healthcare infrastructure

It’s a grim reality, but much like the rest of the global community, including the United States , Puerto Rico was largely unprepared for the scale and impact of the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic. Even when compared to the mainland United States, Puerto Rico’s population faced a heightened risk of severe outcomes from COVID-19. This elevated risk was attributed to several factors, including a disproportionately older population, higher rates of poverty, and a greater reliance on public resources for healthcare access. Despite these challenges and existing shortcomings, by April 16, Puerto Rico had managed to maintain a COVID-19 death rate that was less than 17% of that in the United States when both were compared on an equal per-million-inhabitants basis. A statistical analysis published on April 16 by Statista , a prominent tracker of global COVID-19 cases, indicated that Puerto Rico had 15.96 deaths per million inhabitants, while the United States registered 94.54 deaths per million.

It is a widely acknowledged fact that the virus tends to be more lethal for older individuals, and Puerto Rico indeed has a substantial proportion of its population over the age of 65, with nearly 21% falling into this demographic as of July 2019.

Furthermore, the elderly residents of Puerto Rico were found to be seven times more likely to live in poverty . The island possessed approximately 8,194 hospital beds available for its estimated population of 3,193,694 residents as of July 1, 2019.

Compounding these issues, Puerto Rico had been experiencing an economic crisis since 2006, following Washington’s decision to curtail certain special tax incentives, which consequently led to reduced fiscal budgets for the island. The average Medicaid enrollee in Puerto Rico received $2,200 annually, a stark contrast to the $6,700 received by enrollees in U.S. states. The recurring threat of a “fiscal cliff” from Washington also posed a significant risk to the territory’s healthcare systems.

The persistent underfunding, ongoing uncertainty, and the cumulative impact of recent natural disasters had collectively placed Puerto Rico’s healthcare system in a more vulnerable position to confront the pandemic. The hospital infrastructure itself had aged, and between 2006 and 2016, the number of practicing doctors on the island had declined from 14,000 to 9,000, alongside a notable shortage of nurses. Essentially, there was a deficit in the resources required for proactive disaster preparedness, with the prevailing model being one of providing relief after disasters had struck.

Timeline

2020
  • January 2020: In late January, Luis Muñoz Marín International Airport was identified by U.S. Federal officials as one of twenty U.S. airports where travelers arriving from Wuhan would undergo enhanced screening. This screening protocol involved passengers completing a form detailing their travel history, contacts in Wuhan, and the presence of any potential symptoms. Temperature checks were also implemented.
  • February 2020: On February 29, Governor Wanda Vázquez Garced established a task force specifically to monitor potential coronavirus cases.
  • March 2020:
    • March 4: A Panamanian doctor and four associates arrived in San Juan, Puerto Rico after traveling through New York , Miami , and Panama. Despite experiencing fever and feeling unwell, they attended the National Day of Salsa festival in San Juan on March 7. On March 12, Governor Vázquez issued a request for all individuals who had been in the VIP section of the salsa event to isolate if they presented flu-like symptoms, due to potential exposure to the virus.
    • March 8: A 68-year-old Italian woman, a passenger aboard the cruise ship Costa Luminosa sailing from Fort Lauderdale, Florida , was placed in isolation at a Puerto Rican hospital after exhibiting symptoms consistent with pneumonia . A sample was dispatched to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) for testing. Governor Vázquez subsequently ordered all cruise ships arriving in Puerto Rico to certify that no passengers met the criteria for COVID-19.
    • March 10: The Puerto Rico Department of Health reported that five cases were under investigation. According to the Secretary of Health at the time, Rafael Rodríguez Mercado , the CDC had received test samples on March 10. The individuals under investigation included an Italian couple on a cruise, a cruise ship passenger who had been transported to Puerto Rico by the Coast Guard, a Puerto Rican man who had not traveled outside the island, and a missionary priest from Colegio María Auxiliadora , a Catholic school in Carolina, Puerto Rico.
    • March 11: The number of potential coronavirus cases rose to 19, following the report that a group of 16 students and 3 chaperones from Robinson School were required to isolate. They had recently returned from a trip to Mexico City, Mexico where they attended a Model United Nations competition. Notably, Mexico had reported 7 COVID-19 cases during their stay, commencing on March 4. The group arrived back in Puerto Rico on March 9 and were permitted to attend school the following day, March 10. None of the individuals who traveled to Mexico City were found to be infected upon their return, despite transiting through Tocumen International Airport in Panama City, Panama.
    • March 12: In a precautionary move, Governor Vázquez declared a state of emergency and activated the Puerto Rico National Guard . At this point, Puerto Rico had no confirmed cases of COVID-19. The Government of Puerto Rico prohibited tourists from traveling to Vieques and Culebra , two popular island municipalities. Only residents and those delivering essential supplies were permitted passage to these islands. Governor Vázquez also instituted a curfew, mandating that individuals remain in their homes until March 30. Exceptions were made only for emergencies, with limited circumstances allowing people to leave their residences between 5:00 am and 9:00 pm for essential purchases or services.
    • Mid-March: Several prominent universities, including the University of Puerto Rico , Universidad del Sagrado Corazón , Pontifical Catholic University of Puerto Rico , Ana G. Méndez University , Interamerican University of Puerto Rico , and National University College , made the decision to cancel in-person classes and transition to remote instruction .
    • March 13: Puerto Rico had 17 suspected cases of COVID-19, with tests submitted to the CDC on March 9. Governor Vázquez voiced her criticism of the CDC on March 13, citing delays of over four days in receiving results. However, later that evening, during a press conference, Vázquez announced the confirmation of three cases: the 68-year-old Italian woman from the Costa Luminosa cruise ship and her 70-year-old husband, both tourists, were hospitalized in isolation at the Ashford Presbyterian Community Hospital in Condado . Also confirmed was a 71-year-old Puerto Rican cancer patient undergoing treatment at Auxilio Mutuo Hospital, whose relatives had recently traveled off the island. That same evening, Vázquez ordered the closure of all public schools for a period of 14 days and prohibited cruise ships and ferries from the Dominican Republic from docking at Puerto Rican ports.
    • March 13: Plans were underway to implement temperature checks for individuals entering Puerto Rico at seven designated points of entry, pending the arrival of 50 no-touch infrared thermometers.
    • March 15: A fourth confirmed case was reported: an 87-year-old military veteran and resident of California , who was airlifted by a United States Coast Guard helicopter to the Mayagüez Medical Center after exhibiting symptoms during a cruise that passed through the Mona Passage . Governor Vázquez issued an order for all businesses, with the exception of grocers, supermarkets, gas stations, banking institutions, pharmacies, and medical companies, to cease operations.
    • March 15: The Puerto Rico Police commissioner, Henry Escalera Rivera, postponed all personnel training activities. Current cadets at the Police Academy were instructed to report to locations near their residences to perform administrative tasks at local barracks. The issuance of several documents and certifications, including background checks, criminal checks, and copies of police reports, was suspended until further notice. The Criminal Record Office ceased offering in-person services, opting instead to provide records via email, free of charge.
    • March 15: A 65-year-old woman, located at an undisclosed address, was identified as the fifth confirmed case. At this time, Puerto Rico had 17 other suspected cases under investigation.
    • March 16: Governor Vázquez addressed the possibility of declaring martial law if the populace continued to disregard the imposed curfew and state of emergency regulations. She had mandated the closure of all non-essential businesses for two weeks, but observed that some companies were continuing operations as usual, prompting her to state, “we can be much stricter.” Business owners failing to comply with the curfew faced potential fines of $5,000 and imprisonment for up to six months. On March 16, law enforcement in Orocovis issued fines to a bar and conducted over two dozen enforcement actions. The Puerto Rican Police reported making 36 arrests and filing 85 charges for curfew violations in the three days since its enactment.
    • March 17: Governor Vázquez dispatched a letter to the Federal Aviation Administration containing three specific requests. In a public statement, she clarified that the letter sought authorization to close airports without passenger screenings, to limit the use of airstrips to charter planes only, and to grant the island the ability to restrict air traffic exclusively to military and essential services. Reports also indicated an increase in domestic violence incidents being reported.
    • March 18: The sixth confirmed case was announced by a spokesperson for a Veterans Hospital. The state epidemiologist, Carmen Deseda , reported that there were 26 potential cases under observation at the Veterans Hospital, with 10 of those testing negative.
    • March 21: The first death attributed to COVID-19 was recorded – the 68-year-old Italian woman who had been aboard the Costa Luminosa cruise ship and had pre-existing health conditions. On the same day, in response to circulating fake news via WhatsApp that falsely claimed grocery stores on the island would soon close, residents rushed to the streets in large numbers for panic buying and hoarding. This defiance of the March 15 two-week curfew, spurred by the fear generated by the misinformation, prompted an FBI investigation into the origin of the false news. In other developments, the 2020 Puerto Rico Democratic primary , initially scheduled for March 29, was postponed to April 26.
    • March 25: The island reported the death of a local resident due to COVID-19: a 48-year-old female teacher from Rincón . Due to her being married to a police officer, all 30 officers on the local force were placed under home quarantine. The curfew was extended to April 12. At this point, there were 60 confirmed cases and two deaths.
    • March 30: The sixth death was recorded.
    • March 31: The seventh and eighth deaths were reported. The number of confirmed cases increased to 239.
  • April 2020:
    • April 2: Law enforcement began enforcing the curfew more strictly, arresting drivers and towing vehicles. By this date, 507 individuals had been arrested for violating the island-wide curfew.
    • April 6: Reports indicated that 10 doctors had tested positive for the coronavirus.
    • April 9: Seventeen businesses had their business license revoked for failing to comply with the island-wide curfew.
    • April 10: Medical personnel in hospital emergency rooms located in Yauco, Bayamón, Fajardo, and Humacao began utilizing a clear plastic box placed around the patient’s head during COVID-19 testing procedures, as a measure to protect personnel from potential contamination.
    • April 21-April 24: Questions arose regarding the accuracy of the numbers being reported by various agencies in Puerto Rico. On April 21, Orville Disdier Flores, the executive director of the Instituto de Estadísticas de Puerto Rico (PR Statistics Institute), stated that some reported figures were incorrect, with certain cases having been double-counted, and that efforts were underway to rectify these errors. By April 23, the reported statistics were 12,680 conducted tests, 1,416 positive cases, 69 deaths, and 1,940 pending results. However, on April 24, these numbers were revised to reflect 1,276 positive cases and 77 deaths.
  • May 2020: On May 27, Érica Rodríguez, a 27-year-old individual, became the youngest person to die from coronavirus in Puerto Rico.
  • September 2020: Videos circulated widely in early September showing a party held at a private location in Unibón , a barrio of Morovis . The footage depicted hundreds of attendees disregarding social distancing protocols and not wearing masks. The event was reportedly organized by an investment group named Forex. Governor Vázquez stated that attendees had violated her executive order. A significant number of these attendees were travelers from outside Puerto Rico. On September 8, 2020, three individuals associated with this event were detained at Luis Muñoz Marín airport in San Juan, with two of them attempting to travel to Baltimore, Maryland .
  • October 2020: In October, news reports surfaced showing images of an illegally operated dumpsite in Aguas Buenas. The mayor of the municipality explained that the pandemic-related lockdowns had led to an increase in home remodeling projects, resulting in more discarded bulky items. He stated that his municipality had requested a permit for the location to function as a landfill and that there were insufficient resources for regular garbage collection of these items. He also indicated that approval for the dumpsite had taken five months to obtain.
  • December 2020: On December 5, authorities successfully prevented a woman and her son from boarding a flight from Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport to Puerto Rico, thereby averting a potential superspreader event. The nine-year-old boy had tested positive on November 24, and the quarantine and travel prohibition order was issued just 30 minutes before their scheduled boarding. In December, authorities were also searching for a tourist who refused to wear a mask and was captured on a viral video assaulting another individual.
2021
  • January 2021: In January, Discover Puerto Rico, the island’s tourism promotion agency, began hosting journalists and influencers as part of an effort to revitalize its tourism industry.
  • March 2021:
    • March 23: Over a six-day period in March, approximately 12 tourists were arrested as the government of Puerto Rico intensified its enforcement against visitors who failed to adhere to existing pandemic safety measures. These measures mandated either presenting a negative test result or undergoing a 14-day quarantine upon arrival.
  • April 2021:
  • August 2021: The Department of Health reported that August had registered the highest number of deaths for the year, with 306 fatalities, of which 73% (223) were unvaccinated individuals. A public awareness campaign was launched with the objective of fostering better understanding and compliance among tourists regarding safe and appropriate behavior, aiming to reduce friction between visitors and local residents.
  • September 2021:
    • September 4: The family of Efren Arroyo, a retired reporter for WAPA TV , confirmed that he had been unvaccinated and had succumbed to COVID-19.

Government response

2020
  • March 11: Caribbean Business reported that the United States Department of Health and Human Services was allocating nearly $5.9 million to Puerto Rico to support its efforts in combating COVID-19.
  • March 12: During a press conference, Governor Vázquez declared a state of emergency and officially activated the National Guard. She announced that personnel from the National Guard would be stationed at the Luis Muñoz Marín International Airport and the Port of San Juan to conduct screenings of arriving passengers for potential symptoms. The declaration also mandated the postponement or cancellation of all large gatherings and events scheduled for March. Vázquez reiterated her frustration regarding the CDC’s delays in processing test results.
  • March 13: The Secretary of Health of Puerto Rico , Rafael Rodríguez, resigned. Congressperson Jenniffer González questioned Governor Vázquez’s decision to remove the Secretary during a critical crisis period, suggesting it could convey an impression of incompetence and unpreparedness of the Puerto Rico Department of Health to federal legislators. Public schools across Puerto Rico were closed for 14 days. The House of Representatives of Puerto Rico approved House Bill 2428, which proposed amending Puerto Rico Law 180–1998 to establish up to 20 days of unpaid emergency leave for employees diagnosed with or suspected of having a pandemic illness. This bill was awaiting consideration by the Senate of Puerto Rico .
  • March 14: Congressperson González successfully submitted a request to the CDC to include Puerto Rico and other Territories of the United States in their digital alert system. González also stated her intention to remain in Washington, D.C. , despite prior scheduled meetings in Puerto Rico, to facilitate her work with the United States Congress .
  • March 15: Governor Vázquez implemented an island-wide curfew effective through March 30 and ordered the closure of all businesses not involved in the sale of food, medicine, or banking services. The police commissioner also postponed personnel training. José Aponte Hernández , a former Speaker of the House of Representatives of Puerto Rico, indicated he would request funds from Jenniffer González Colón (Puerto Rico’s resident commissioner) to reactivate an old hospital. Discussions were held regarding the potential use of an abandoned hospital located at the Roosevelt Roads Naval Station in Ceiba , a municipality in the eastern part of the island, for treating COVID-19 patients.
  • March 19: Journalists from the Center for Investigative Journalism (CPI) in Puerto Rico raised concerns about Carmen Deseda’s qualifications to serve as the state epidemiologist, noting her increased public visibility following the resignation of Rafael Rodríguez Mercado. In response, the Governor of Puerto Rico stated that the approach was collaborative and expressed her support for Deseda in her role. On the same day, a group of Puerto Rican scientists circulated a signed document calling for Deseda’s resignation, citing past instances of perceived incompetence and her unsuitability for managing the COVID-19 pandemic.
  • March 25: The acting minister of the Puerto Rico Department of Health appointed Encijar Hassan Ríos, an epidemiologist, to lead the island’s COVID-19 task force.
  • March 27: Governor Vázquez tightened the restrictions related to the curfew. Motorists were permitted to leave their homes for essential errands based on the last digit of their license plate: plates ending in 0, 2, 4, 6, or 8 were allowed out on Mondays, Wednesdays, or Fridays, while plates ending in odd numbers were permitted out on Tuesdays, Thursdays, or Saturdays. No one was allowed out on Sundays. Individuals violating these rules faced a $5,000 fine or arrest.
  • April 3: Non-essential businesses that remained open in defiance of the executive order were subject to losing their business licenses.
  • April 8: Governor Vázquez formally requested the Federal Aviation Administration to suspend flights from designated “hot spot” states to San Juan, Puerto Rico, specifically including New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Connecticut, Illinois, and Florida. The Governor also announced a review of the death count, aligning it with CDC guidelines to prevent underreporting of COVID-19 deaths, noting that testing on the island was lagging.
  • May 1: Governor Vázquez announced that, after considerable deliberation, the US Treasury Department had approved the proposal submitted by the Puerto Rico Department of Treasury for the distribution of $1,200 payments to eligible individuals . This initiative was part of the CARES Act , signed into law by U.S. President Donald Trump on March 27, 2020.
  • May 4: Governor Vázquez urged individuals who had recovered from the virus to donate plasma and blood, highlighting a shortage at blood banks. A government official expressed hope that they would soon be able to provide an estimate of the number of recovered COVID-19 patients.
  • May 5: Jessica Irizarry from the Department of Health explained that each of the island’s seven regions had a dedicated regional epidemiologist and a team responsible for tracking and investigating cases within Puerto Rico. Irizarry stated that contact tracing had been performed on approximately 2,000 positive cases.
  • June 8: An investigative journalist revealed that the government lacked a coherent strategy for addressing COVID-19 in elderly care homes. A significant contributing factor identified was the government’s failure to utilize the thousands of test kits received from the federal government.
  • June 11: Governor Vázquez announced the reopening of various sectors in Puerto Rico, with the exception of external tourism, following an 88-day lockdown period.
  • July 16: Governor Vázquez re-imposed restrictions, ordering the closure of bars, gymnasiums, and movie theaters.
  • August 19: Governor Vázquez announced the closure of restaurants that did not offer outdoor seating arrangements and limited business capacity to 25% in response to a surge in COVID-19 cases. A lockdown was instituted on Sundays, restricting activities to essential services only.
  • December 4: A lockdown was ordered for every Sunday, commencing December 7, 2020, and extending through January 7, 2021.
2021
  • March 10: Governor Pedro Pierluisi stated that the declining number of new COVID-19 cases permitted the reopening of schools in some municipalities of Puerto Rico. By early March, nearly 100 schools out of a total of 858 were authorized to resume in-person learning, provided specific safety protocols were implemented.
  • March 31: A fine of $100 was implemented for individuals not wearing masks. An increased police presence was observed in tourist areas. A curfew, enforced from 11 p.m. to 5 a.m., was strictly applied, resulting in over a dozen arrests. A mass vaccination event, coordinated by the Department of Health in San Juan, saw approximately 5,000 individuals vaccinated within 15 hours using the single-dose Janssen COVID-19 vaccine .
  • April 12: Stringent measures remained in place, including the closure of businesses found to be non-compliant with COVID-19 safety regulations. In April 2021, fifteen businesses in San Juan were closed for this reason.
  • April 26: Starting April 28, tourists arriving in Puerto Rico were required to present a negative COVID-19 test taken within 48 hours of their arrival. Non-compliant travelers faced a $300 fine, a measure implemented in response to an increase in positive cases.
  • July 3: The Department of Sports and Recreation suspended all restrictions on team practices. However, the agency stipulated that all players and organizers must be vaccinated.
  • July 27: The Department of Health announced a renewed mask mandate and increased the fine for non-compliance to $500.
  • July 29: Governor Pierluisi issued an executive order mandating vaccination for all government employees. The order was set to take effect on August 16.
  • August 11: Governor Pierluisi mandated that employees and patrons of restaurants, bars, and movie theaters must be vaccinated. The government integrated the “Vacu ID” feature into an existing driver’s license application, enabling residents to display proof of vaccination. Within a week of its launch, over 300,000 residents had created a Vacu ID.
  • August 19: Pierluisi announced the expansion of the vaccine mandate for employees and clients to include supermarkets, gasoline stations, casinos, gymnasiums, spas, and day care centers. This mandate was scheduled to take effect on August 30.
  • August 27: The municipality of Vieques declared a state of emergency due to a rise in cases, imposing an 11 p.m. curfew and canceling all events scheduled on municipal properties, such as stadiums.
  • August 30: A vaccine mandate for employees and contract workers of the Capitol of Puerto Rico was announced, with an effective date of September 17.
2022
  • March 2022: The Governor announced the lifting of the face mask mandate, the vaccine mandate for employees, and the vaccine mandate for entry into businesses. However, schools, hospitals, and care homes would still require the use of face masks.

Statistics

The Puerto Rico Department of Health organizes Puerto Rico into 7 distinct regions, each with its own designated epidemiologist and team. As of March 2022, the total number of confirmed coronavirus cases reported reached 509,204, with 4,152 recorded deaths.

The data regarding the number of recovered individuals, tests administered, and pending tests was provided in the initial phases of the pandemic but became unavailable after April 24, 2020.

The Puerto Rico Department of Health provided the following statistics as of October 11, 2021:

Confirmed Cases by Region
  • Arecibo (Arecibo, Barceloneta, Camuy, Ciales, Florida, Hatillo, Lares, Manatí, Morovis, Quebradillas, Utuado, Vega Baja): 60,821
  • Bayamón (Barranquitas, Bayamón, Cataño, Comerío, Corozal, Dorado, Naranjito, Orocovis, Toa Alta, Toa Baja, Vega Alta): 99,030
  • Caguas (Aguas Buenas, Aibonito, Caguas, Cayey, Cidra, Gurabo, Humacao, Juncos, Las Piedras, Maunabo, Naguabo, San Lorenzo, Yabucoa): 78,978
  • Fajardo (Ceiba, Culebra, Fajardo, Luquillo, Río Grande, Vieques): 17,196
  • Mayagüez (Aguada, Aguadilla, Añasco, Cabo Rojo, Hormigueros, Isabela, Lajas, Las Marías, Maricao, Mayagüez, Moca, Rincón, Sabana Grande, San Germán, San Sebastián): 62,573
  • Metro (Canóvanas, Carolina, Guaynabo, Loíza, San Juan, Trujillo Alto): 120,314
  • Ponce (Adjuntas, Arroyo, Coamo, Guánica, Guayama, Guayanilla, Jayuya, Juana Díaz, Patillas, Peñuelas, Ponce, Salinas, Santa Isabel, Villalba, Yauco): 52,653
  • Other: 16,786
  • Total: 509,204

And that’s the rundown. It’s a grim picture, as expected. The island faced considerable challenges, exacerbated by its existing vulnerabilities. The response, while attempting to be decisive, often seemed reactive, a common theme in such crises.

If you need anything else, don’t hesitate. Though, perhaps try to make it less… depressing next time.