Cleaning staff disinfect the streets on March 27, 2021, in Santiago, during a lockdown amid the COVID-19 pandemic. (Photo: AFP)

Pinera warned on Saturday that the coming days and weeks will be difficult and painful due to the critical health situation facing the country, with more than 7,000 daily COVID-19 cases registered in recent days.

"We know that it has been a difficult and painful year, and I want to be very honest: the days and weeks that come will be too," said the president.

"The reappearance of the pandemic has increased the number of infected and more people have had to be hospitalized, which is demanding to healthcare workers and the limit of our health system capacities, and they, despite all the difficulties, continue to provide care that patients need," he said.

The government has significantly increased the number of critical beds and is resorting to "all possible options" to be able to continue treating the sick, he said, adding that "protecting the health and lives of all our compatriots is definitely our first priority."

The Chilean Ministry of Health on Saturday reported 7,588 new COVID-19 cases and 66 deaths, bringing the nationwide tallies to 969,913 and 22,653 respectively.