Lima, April 8 (RHC)-- In Peru, the Ministry of Health (Minsa) reported that to date nationwide there are 53,725 deaths and 1,607,898 accumulated cases of new coronavirus.

According to the latest report from the ministry, which is headed by Óscar Ugarte, this is an increase of 314 deaths in the last 24 hours.  Regarding positive cases, there was an increase of 13,384: 4,079 were confirmed cases on April 6 and 9,305 are results of the previous seven days.

The Ministry of Health indicated that there are currently 13,823 patients hospitalized for COVID-19, of which 2,249 are in ICU with mechanical ventilation.  Of the total number of confirmed cases, 1,527,112 persons completed their home isolation period or were discharged from a health facility.

In order to prevent the spread of COVID-19, the Peruvian government recommends physical distancing of at least one meter from another person, wearing a mask, washing hands frequently and using face shields in public transportation.

In related news, Peru's general elections will take place this Sunday, and the 18 presidential candidates announced the closings of their electoral campaigns.  In previous elections, the presidential hopefuls organized rallies attended by thousands of supporters.  However, on this occasion, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, they will have to resort to virtual space or open places to avoid contagion of the coronavirus.