QCOSTARICA – The bar and restaurant sector foresees a significant increase in sales as the restriction measures in place to contain the spread of Covid-19 are eliminated.
This Thursday, President Carlos Alvarado announced that the sanitary measures will be lifted in the coming weeks. Without going into specifics, the first measure expected to go will be the vehicular restrictions, and could be as early as March 1.
The other measures are expected to be eliminated before Alvarado’s term is up, in May, if not sooner.
Currently, vehicle restrictions are applied every night throughout the country, from 12 am to 5 am. These hours also apply to bars, restaurants, retailers, malls and other commercial operations with a sanitary permit.
José Francisco Quesada, president of the Asociación Costarricense de Bares y Restaurantes (ASOBAREST) – Costa Rican Association of Bars and Restaurants, said that sales would increase to 90%, which translates into job creation.
Arturo Rosabal, vice president of the Cámara de Comercio de Costa Rica (Costa Rican Chamber of Commerce), said that the sector has urged that the restriction be lifted to support thousands of families.
In the Legislative Assembly, legislators approved to fast-track a bill that seeks to eliminate the power of the Executive Branch. Since the beginning of the pandemic, back in March 2020, the government has exercised its power of decree to apply sanitary measures to curb the spread of covid-19.