(QCOSTARICA) Apply the term used by Costa Rican President Carlos Alvarado “hammer and dance” (martillo y baile), we heard today the anticipated measures to curb the spike in the number of new cases of the COVID-19 and increase in hospitalizations.
Starting tomorrow, Friday, July 3 and in effect to July 13, the government announced the “hammer”, expanding the number of communities under “orange” alert in the greater metropolitan area and northern zone, with many others will continue with the “dance”, permitted to continue phase 3 of the opening with some modified restrictions.
Another important point, during the period there will be mandatory use of facemask or face shield at supermarkets and retail stores, and of course, continuing with the application of the other sanitary protocols.
Orange Alert
The areas under “orange alert” and with the maximum sanitary restrictions are:
- San Jose province cantons and districts: San José, Curridabat, Montes de Oca, Moravia, Tibás, Goicoechea, Aserrí, Escazú, Desamparados, Alajuelita and Puriscal.
- Alajuela province cantons and districts: Alajuela, San Ramón, Palmares, Grecia, Upala, Guatuso, Los Chiles, southeast sector distrricst of La Fortuna de San Carlos (Tres Esquinas, Los Ángeles, Sonafluca, La Perla, San Isidro, El Tanque, San Jorge, Santa Cecilia) and the district of Florencia, San Carlos (La Vega and Bonanza).
- Heredia province cantons and districts: Heredia, Santo Domingo and Barva.
- Puntarenas province cantons and districts: Puntarenas (except for the districts of Cobano, Lepanto, Monteverde, Isla Chira, Isla Caballo, Isla San Lucas, Isla del Coco and Isla Venado) and Corredores.
- Cartago province: canton of La Union.
- Guancaster province: canton of Bagaces
- Limon province: canton of Pococí.
In the orange alert areas, the vehicular restriction, save for the border areas (), Monday to Sunday, from 7:00 pm to 5:00 am, all vehicles; and from 5:00 am to 7:00 pm based on the last digit of the license plate: 1 & 2 Mondays, 3 & 4 Tuesdays, 5 & 6 Wednesdays, 7 & 8 Thursdays, 9 & 0 Fridays, all even-numbered (0,2, 4, 6, 8) Saturdays and all odd-numbers (1, 3, 5, 7, 9) Sundays.
Weekdays:
- Commercial activity can be carried out weekdays between 5:00 am to and 7:00 pm, except for those not enabled such as places of worship, public parks, bars, and events of mass concentration. Hotels will be able to operate from Monday to Sunday with a capacity of 50%.
Weekends:
- Allowed to operate (5 am to 7 pm) only supermarkets, pharmacies, medical centers, grocery stores, suppliers, bakeries, butchers, greengrocers, home service, agricultural, veterinary and hygiene supplies, banks, funeral homes, hardware stores, locksmiths, vehicle repair shops, motorcycles, tires and machinery, and lubrication centers.
- In the case of supermarkets, suppliers, grocery stores, and mini-supermarkets, on weekends, only the items corresponding to the sale of food, beverages, groceries, cleaning and hygiene supplies, and basic needs.
- Not enabled: Restaurants, beauty salons, shops, cinemas, theaters and museums, places of worship, public parks, bars, and events of mass concentration.
- Farmer’s fairs may operate with strict protocols, and with a differentiated time for seniors from 5:00 am to 8:30 am.
Yellow Alert
The following are the sanitary measures for all areas under “yellow” alert, which is basically the entire country (excepting the areas under orange alert):
- From Monday to Sunday: They continue in phase 3 of reopening from 5:00 am to 7:00 pm, with authorization for the operation of places of worship of maximum 75 people, beaches from 5:00 am to 9:30 am, hotels and restaurants, shops, museums, cinemas and theaters on weekends at 50% capacity.
- Not enabled: The operation of public parks, bars, and events of mass concentration.
- The nighttime vehicle restriction is total for the entire country from Monday to Sunday, from 7:00 pm to 5:00 am (save for border areas) and for the list of exceptions well known.
- The daytime vehicular restrictions will be from 5:00 am to 7:00 pm, based on the last digit of the license plate: 1 & 2 Mondays, 3 & 4 Tuesdays, 5 & 6 Wednesdays, 7 & 8 Thursdays, 9 & 0 Fridays, all even-numbered (0,2, 4, 6, 8) Saturdays and all odd-numbers (1, 3, 5, 7, 9) Sundays.
- Border areas will have a vehicular restriction from Monday to Sunday, total from 5:00 pm and 5:00 am and from 5:00 am to 5:00 pm based on the last digit of the license plate as above.
- The areas identified as “border areas” are:1. Cantón de La Cruz
2. Cantón de Upala (en alerta naranja)
3. Cantón de Guatuso (en alerta naranja)
4. Cantón de Los Chiles (en alerta naranja)
5. Cantón de San Carlos: Aguas Zarcas, Cutris, Pital, Pocosol y Venecia. Además, el sector sureste del distrito de la Fortuna de San Carlos (Tres Esquinas, Los Ángeles, Sonafluca, La Perla, San Isidro, El Tanque, San Jorge, Santa Cecilia); y La Vega y Bonanza del distrito de Florencia.
6. Cantón de Río Cuarto
7. Distritos de Llanuras del Gaspar y Curuña del cantón de Sarapiquí
8. Distritos de Pacuarito y Reventazón del cantón de Siquirres
9. Los distritos de La Rita, Roxana, Cariari y Colorado del cantón de Pococí (en alerta naranja)
10. Distrito de Duacarí de cantón de Guácimo
11. Cantón de Corredores (en alerta naranja)
12. Distritos de Sabalito y Agua Buena del Cantón de Coto Brus. - Also restricted from 5:00 pm to 5:00 am is navigation on rivers and waterways such as: Medio Queso, Frío, Sistema de Canalización del Caribe Norte (Canales de Tortuguero), Colorado, Sarapiquí and San Carlos.
The announcement made today is in development and we will report changes, explanations and clarifications, if any, as they become available.
