Rico’s TICO BULL – It’s Monday, August 17, the last day of the holiday weekend. Yet despite being a holiday Monday, it is ‘business as usual’ when it comes to the driving restrictions and store openings.
After two days of store closings and weird vehicular restrictions, today we return to the normal of the ‘closed phase’ of August until Friday, August 21, and then from Saturday, August 23 to Sunday, August 30, back to the ‘August normal’.
It’s OK to feel overwhelmed, we are here to help.
The vehicular restrictions:
- In orange alert areas, today, Monday, August 17, only vehicles ending with license plates 1 and 2 CAN circulate today; meanwhile, in yellow alert areas 1 & 2 CANNOT circulate.
- This will continue all week: Tuesday 3 & 4 only CAN driver in orange, NOT in yellow; Wednesday 5 & 6 only CAN driver in orange, NOT in yellow; Thursday 7 & 8 only CAN driver in orange, NOT in yellow; Friday 9 & 0 only CAN driver in orange, NOT in yellow.
- The daytime vehicular restrictions are from 5:00 am to 9:00 pm in both orange and yellow alert areas.
- The total vehicular restrictions, save for the exempted, starts at 9:00 pm and continues to 5:00 am the next morning.
- The fine for violating the vehicular restrictions is a fine of ¢110,000 colones, six points on the driver’s license and seizure of the license plates or vehicle. More: High fine for violating vehicle restrictions has its days numbered
The above applies only to Friday, August 22. For Saturday, August 23 to the 30th, I will update and include any changes that might or might not occur between now and then.
What’s open today or not, this week?
- Back to the “closed phase” of commercial activity starting today in orange alert areas only; yellow areas never had a closed phase.
- Can open again are all retail stores, including malls, restaurants, beauty salons and barbershops (with appointments) and so on, all at 50% capacity and mandatory wear of a mask or face shield.
- Now, today being a legal holiday, many businesses, including banks, are not open today.
For the complete and OFFICIAL list of what is what and whatnot, click here.
Here is the link to the interactive map by CNE for the official orange and yellow delineation.
Have a great holiday Monday!
