SAN JOSE, March 18 (Reuters) - The Costa Rican health ministry said on Wednesday that it had reported its first death due to coronavirus, an 87-year-old man who had been hospitalized west of the capital.

“At 4:15 p.m. the first person in Costa Rica died as a result of COVID-19, a senior citizen,” Costa Rican President Carlos Alvarado wrote in a post on Twitter. “We stand in solidarity with his family... Only together and with solidarity will we pass through this national emergency.” (Reporting by Alvaro Murillo; writing by Julia Love)