​
From December 11 to 17, 22,293 tests were performed, with 22.2 percent of positive results. | Photo: EFE​

Montevideo, December 22 (RHC)-- Uruguay's Minister of Health, Daniel Salinas, has reported that his country is facing a new wave of COVID-19 that brings as a consequence a rise in cases of the disease caused by the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus.

The official said: "We must take care when we are in certain circumstances, both at the intra-hospital level, in residential areas, and in closed meetings, with little space, with a lot of crowds."

Uruguayan authorities are planning to start the application of a booster of the COVID-19 vaccine for people over 50 years of age and immunocompromised persons.  In a first step, people over 80 years of age will be vaccinated.

The Minister of Health reported that during the 50th epidemiological week (December 11-17), 4,599 active cases of the respiratory disease were registered.

The number of confirmed accumulated cases is 1,002,988, according to the statistics. In the mentioned period, 22,293 tests were performed, with 22.2 percent of positive results.  In the 50th epidemiological week, two deaths were recorded for a total of 7,552 deaths.