The worldwide pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) severely affected Chile. The virus was confirmed to have reached Chile on 3 March 2020.[5] Initial cases had been imported from Southeast Asia and Europe, and expanded into a large number of untraceable infections, placing the country within phase 4 of the pandemic as defined by the World Health Organization, with over 1,000 confirmed cases by 25 March 2020.
The cases are concentrated in the Santiago metropolitan area, with outbreaks in other regions in the country. No national lockdown was established in Chile, unlike in neighboring Argentina and Peru, although a night curfew was implemented throughout the country. Quarantines were established locally in different cities and neighborhoods. However, in May 2020 the whole city of Santiago was put under mandatory quarantine due to an increase of cases, and similar situations were extended to most of the largest cities in Chile.
Considering its population, by June 2020 Chile had one of the worst outbreaks in the world.[6] Initially, the number of fatalities reported was lower than in other countries in South America, even those with fewer cases. However, in May 2020, the number of cases and deaths increased rapidly, while several sources reported excess deaths not officially attributed to covid, which were not counted.[7][8] By June 2020, the government confirmed thousands of additional deaths due to COVID-19, including suspected cases where PCR tests were not available.[9] The pandemic reached a peak on 13 June with 195 daily confirmed deaths and nearly 7,000 positive cases.[1] By July 2020, 10,000 people had died, and Chile had the sixth largest number of cases in the world.[10][11] In the following weeks, the number of daily cases and deaths started to decrease slowly, although some local outbreaks appeared. The number of cases increased later in the year, and by March 2021 the number of daily cases exceeded those in the initial wave.[12]
Chile became one of the first countries to start a nationwide program to vaccinate against COVID-19. On 24 December 2020, the first batch of vaccines arrived in the country to inoculate mainly health workers.[13] With larger batches of vaccines (mainly Sinovac'sCoronaVac) arriving from February 2021, Chile became one of the fastest countries in the world to inoculate their population: by March 2021 a quarter of the population had received at least one dose. This fast response was due to signing contracts with multiple providers, a strong public immunization program, and little anti-vaccine sentiment.[14] Despite the success of the vaccination program the number of cases increased, which has been attributed to early relaxation of restrictions and a false sense of security.[15][16][17]
With more than 92,000 cases and 2,500 deaths per million inhabitants,[1] the impact of the pandemic has been great in the South American country. In March 2020, when the first cases of COVID-19 were reported, the country was still facing protests and riots[c] that had begun in October 2019, and the pandemic affected the scheduled 2020 Chilean national plebiscite, which was rescheduled and held later in the year. Partial lockdowns and quarantines were established in the first months, hitting the economy of the country. By April 2020, unemployment had reached 9%, a ten-year high.[19][20] A wave of protests sparked in late May, mainly in Santiago, due to food shortages in certain sectors of the population.[21] The Chilean GDP shrank by a 5.8% in 2020, the largest recession in 40 years in the country.[22] Chile is the only country in the world with entry procedures such as requiring homologation of vaccines to travel to.[23]
3 March: The confirms the first case of the SARS-CoV-2 virus in Chile, making it the fifth country in Latin America to report such an instance after Brazil, Mexico, Ecuador and Argentina.[5][29]Patient zero was identified to be a 33-year-old man living in San Javier and tested in Talca, Maule Region. He contracted the virus while on honeymoon in Southeast Asia.[30]
Ministry of Health
4 March: The government confirms two more cases. One being patient zero's wife and the other being a 56-year-old woman who had traveled through several European countries, .[31] She was also the first case in Santiago.[32]
including Italy
7 March: The Ministry of Health confirms the first case in a minor, a 17-year-old boy who had traveled to Europe with the third and fifth confirmed patients with the virus. The first case in Puerto Montt is identified.[34]
[33]
8 March: 3 more cases are confirmed, including an 83-year-old woman who contracted the virus from a family member visiting her from New York, who later presented symptoms themselves and was diagnosed with COVID-19 upon return to the United States. This is considered the first case infected within Chile.[36]
[35]
9 March: A 2-year-old infant is infected, becoming part of the Maule cluster, and the first case is declared in the . The Ministry of Health announces that it would start reporting new cases in a daily manner instead of case by case as they were confirmed.[37][38]
Biobío Region
11 March: The number of cases in the country reaches 23, 14 of them being in the , which became the first region in Chile with over ten confirmed cases. Most of them are located in the upper-class neighborhoods of Las Condes, Vitacura and Lo Barnechea.[39][40]
Santiago Metropolitan Region
13 March
Saint George's College
14 March: 18 new cases are confirmed, increasing the total number of confirmed cases to 61. The first cases are announced the regions of Antofagasta (2 cases), Atacama (1) and Aysén (1), the latter being an 83-year-old British tourist aboard a cruise ship that landed in Puerto Chacabuco after showing symptoms of COVID-19, having previously disembarked in Caleta Tortel.[43] As a precaution, nearly 1,300 fellow-passengers on two cruises, along with the entire town of Tortel, are quarantined.[44][45]
16 March: 81 new cases are confirmed in a single day, increasing the total to 156 confirmed cases. According to the definition of the Health Organization (WHO), the start of stage 4 of the pandemic begins, as President Piñera announces the closure of "all land, sea and air borders (...) for the transit of foreign people". Chilean nationals and permanent residents were allowed to enter after a mandatory 14-day quarantine.
[46]
17 March: A cluster of more than 20 cases is confirmed in . The virus had spread due to direct and indirect interpersonal contact within a gymnasium.[47]Pedro Edmunds Paoa, mayor of Easter Island (Rapa Nui), announces that Mataveri Airport would close to avoid the virus reaching the isolated island.[48]
Chillán
18 March: The Government issues a 90-day in an attempt to take greater control of spread of the virus, effective at midnight.[49] The state of catastrophe was ultimately renewed by the President for the entire year.
state of catastrophe
19 March: The first day with more than 100 cases confirmed, bringing the total to 342. The same day, the couple who were the first reported cases of COVID-19 were deemed to have recovered, and were sent home to begin a post-recovery quarantine.[51]
[50]
20 March: The mayors of , La Reina and Vitacura declare a preventive quarantine for these sectors of the capital, where many confirmed cases of coronavirus had been recorded.[52]
Las Condes
21 March: Health Minister confirms the first death due to coronavirus infection in Chile, an 83-year-old woman from Santiago.[53]
Jaime Mañalich
22 March: The number of total coronavirus cases reported reaches 632. A nationwide is imposed between the hours of 22:00 and 5:00,[54] while Easter Island (Rapa Nui) establishes a curfew from 14:00 to 5:00.[55]
curfew
24 March: The first case in Easter Island (Rapa Nui) is reported, despite the measures taken days before.
[56]
25 March: The number of cases reaches 1,000. A total of 1,142 cases and 3 deaths are reported by the government.
