If you believe that the controls of the last few days – countrywide vehicular restrictions with daytime and nighttime spotchecks, and the closing of all retail business save for supermarkets, pharmacies, banks and home food delivery and the daytime – things are going to get even tougher, assures Daniel Calderón, the director of the Fuerza Publica (national police).
“The Fuerza Publica will be making an additional effort to continue strict compliance with the sanitary measures issued by the Ministry of Health in the face of the national emergency following the global pandemic due to the COVID-19 coronavirus,” said Calderón.
The objective of the hardening of these actions during Semana Santa, seek to ensure effective compliance with the new restrictions issued by the Government, in effect to Sunday, April 12.
In coordination with all the police forces in the country, significant efforts are being made to comply with border surveillance, supervision in commercial premises and vehicle restriction, without neglecting citizen security.
“We have had important responsibilities to ensure compliance with the guidelines that have to do mainly with the closure of premises, in the first instance bars and restaurants, but now the control extends to all the premises that have attention to the public,” added Calderón.
To date, the authorities have closed a total of 5,214 premises for non-compliance with the regulations issued by the Ministry of Health since March 17 and 62 people charged with contempt.
More than 3,000 drivers have been fined since the stricter vehicular restrictions went into force in mid-march, more than 1,000 issued the stiffer ¢110,400 fine, six points on the driver’s license and confiscation of license plates and/or vehicle since the early hours of Saturday (April 4) morning.
For example, starting tomorrow, Wednesday, April 8, daytime, from 5 am to 5pm, vehicles with the corresponding license plate can drive locally to get to and from the supermarket or pharmacy (0 & 1 on Wednesday; 2 & 3 on Thursday; 4 & 5 on Friday, 6 & 7 on Saturday and 8 & 9 on Sunday). Nighttime, everyone off the roads.
“Follow the recommendations, stay home. Continue to collaborate with the police and health authorities, we hope that this Semana Santa, the population is aware of and attends to health measures for the good of the entire population,” assured Calderón.
