(QCOSTARICA) The “Stay at home” (Quedate en casa) that prevailed for more than five months of the pandemic, will take a turn in September. The new motto will be “Costa Rica works and takes care of itself.”
The latter is the name of the model that the government announced to allow greater mobilization of people and greater operation of commercial establishments.
The stake for this opening is responsibility, an aspect that President Carlos Alvarado on Wednesday emphasized during the noon presser from Casa Presidencial.
“This management model is one where we all have to be responsible for our care, always use a mask, sneeze protocol, hand washing, distancing, respect bubbles and not expose ourselves unnecessarily,” he warned.
“Responsibility is not only a matter for individuals, but also for institutions, municipalities and commercial establishments. Failure to comply with that commitment will be reflected in a rebound in infections, which would force a step back, as happened months ago.
“It is important that we all do our part in this process, because we will carry indicators to monitor the evolution and when alerts are raised, if things are not going in the right direction, we will have to take measures to go back, but that depends on how much well behave,” he added.
For Álvaro Sáenz, president of the Costa Rican Union of Chambers and Associations of the Private Business Sector (Uccaep), this mechanism of opening with responsibility should have been applied since March.
The union leader welcomed the flexibility and recognized the responsibility that comes from citizens to businesses with the application of protocols.
“Together we can move this forward and not punish economic activity,” he declared.
1,000 cases daily
The flexibility comes when the number of daily cases has risen from the single digits to dozens, to a few hundred, to now hovering the 1,000 mark – 985 on Thursday (August 27) and 1,002 cases on Wednesday (August 26), the third-highest. The second highest so far on 1,011 on August 7 and the highest, 1,059, on August 21.
The accumulated number of cases is 37,392 (August 27), a figure that surpassed the worst-case scenario that was to have occurred for September, according to estimates by the School of Mathematics of the University of Costa Rica.
Unified vehicle restrictions
The main change to the “Costa Rica works and takes care of itself” model is that from August 31 to September 30 the vehicle restriction is unified. That is, while there will still be yellow and orange areas, the vehicular restrictions will be the same in both.
Two phases for commerce
Regarding the operation of commerce, the model advances in two phases. The first of nine days, considered transitional, and the second of controlled opening.
“It consists of deepening a model that makes a balance between people’s health and life and the economy and employment. Throughout the pandemic we have maintained the largest number of productive activities, we have opened the beaches, hotels, flights, more establishments, it is necessary to go one step further,” President Alvarado said.
Thus, from August 31 to September 8 there will be an adjustment period that will only affect the 23 cantons on orange alert. During those days there will be restriction measures in certain establishments.
More information on who can and cannot be open during September, visit presidencia.go.cr/alertas
For example, hardware stores, sales of materials, vehicle repair do not have a scheduled restriction but must meet the 50% capacity. Hotels at 100%, except in common areas, which must be at 50%.
Restaurants, sodas, cafes, shops, beauty salons, barbershops and aesthetics can serve 50%, from 5 am to 10 pm.
For those days of transition, in cantons under orange alert they will not be able to open gyms, nor do religious activities.
Starting on Wednesday, September 9, the controlled opening phase begins, that allows many commercial operations to operate between 5 am and 10 pm weekdays and 5 am to 8 pm on weekends.
However, activities that will continue to be prohibited (yellow or orange) are all those that involve mass concentration such as concerts, popular festivities, due to their high level of contagion risk; Bars, casinos, discos, spas and games for children are also still not allowed to open.
As for beaches, access will be allowed from 5 am to 2:30 pm on all beaches across the country.
