People line up to enter a supermarket in Santiago, Chile, March 21, 2020. Chilean Minister of Health Jaime Manalich on Saturday confirmed the country's first fatality due to the new coronavirus. The Chilean Ministry of Health reported on Saturday that the country currently has 537 confirmed cases of COVID-19, with 103 new cases detected in recent hours. (Photo by Jorge Villegas/Xinhua)
SANTIAGO, March 21 (Xinhua) -- Chilean Minister of Health Jaime Manalich on Saturday confirmed the country's first fatality due to the new coronavirus.
"We are mourning the first deceased person in Chile due to COVID-19, an 83-year-old woman who fell ill and who opted for compassionate management," said the official through his Twitter account.
The Chilean Ministry of Health reported on Saturday that the country currently has 537 confirmed cases of COVID-19, with 103 new cases detected in recent hours.
He said that 33 people diagnosed with the disease had been hospitalized, seven of them on ventilators, and this figure included the woman who died today.
On Friday, the government ordered the closing of cinemas, theaters, restaurants, bars, and nightclubs across the country, as well as the suspension of all sporting events in order to curb the spread of the virus.
