[HQ] More than 5,000 police officers will benefit from the donation of ¢20 million colones in food by Arcos Dorados, the company that operates the McDonald’s brand in Latin America and the Caribbean.
Photo courtest of McDonald’s Costa Rica
The delivery of eight tons of raw material products was delivered to the National Emergency Commission (CNE), which will be in charge of distribution.
“Thanks to the recommendation and direction we received from the CNE, we are giving this support to the officers who are committed to taking care of all of us and we feel very honored to be able to contribute with our products so that they can fulfill their workdays,” said. Esteban Sequeira, CEO of Arcos Dorados Costa Rica.
It is the responsibility of everyone to contribute to the maintenance of the health system. Only in this way will we get ahead and avoid the collapse of hospital centers," said Luis Carlos Pastor, president of the Costa Rica College of Physicians and Surgeons
(QCOSTARICA) Temporarily suspending freedom of transit and assembly to contain the expansion of the COVID-19 would flatten the contagion curve, according to Costa Rica’s College of Physicians and Surgeons (Colegio de Médicos y Cirujanos).
“It is the responsibility of everyone to contribute to the maintenance of the health system. Only in this way will we get ahead and avoid the collapse of hospital centers,” said Luis Carlos Pastor, president of the Costa Rica College of Physicians and Surgeons
The proposal resurfaces at a time when the country has had a spike new infections by the hundreds every day, in addition to an increase in hospitalized and deaths
The extraordinary measure that is contemplated in the country’s Constitution had already been proposed by the physicians at the beginning of the pandemic and now, in the face of a second pandemic wave that “eats at the resources voraciously”, the option is again proposed.
“Given the increase in cases registered in recent weeks, our position remains the same. In order to contain, advance and flatten the curve of growing cases, it is necessary to establish: quarantines, limit freedom of transit to strengthen measures such as social distancing in the population; this College maintains its position of supporting these measures in accordance with what Health authorities dictate,” said Luis Carlos Pastor, president of the College of Physicians and Surgeons.
A forced quarantine in places in the Greater Metropolitan Area (GAM) where there is a higher incidence of the virus such as Pavas, Desamparados, and Alajuelita – three of the most populous areas in the country – would serve not only to flatten the curve, again, but also to stabilize the gap between hospital admissions and discharges and thus lower hospital bed occupancy.
This temporary suspension of individual rights would go hand in hand with raising the orange to red alert in those areas with the highest incidences.
“If the country reaches this phase, the level of restriction would be the maximum possible,” said Daniel Salas, Minister of Health.
The lifting of basic freedoms such as those mentioned requires the endorsement of the Legislative Assembly, which would have to vote in favor of this extraordinary measure with a vote of two-thirds of legislators.
However, the measures proposed by the medical association would not be enough to stop the spread, if other fundamental measures such as social distancing, avoiding crowds, washing hands, and applying cough and sneeze protocols.
In addition, the medical association recommends people to go to health centers as soon as they have symptoms so that the disease does not progress and complicate their body.
Also, it would be essential for people who go to hospital services to clearly indicate if they have been in contact with other people suspected of having been infected with the virus.
“If a person is a carrier of COVID-19 or has had contact with people infected with the virus, not only must they comply with health orders and maintain quarantine, but they must not lie when attending medical centers so as not to put at risk the health centers or compromise care to other service users,” said Pastor.
There have already been two cases in which patients hide this information, putting at risk not only the officials who care for them, but also those who are in hospitals. One case was that of a pregnant woman who lied to hospital staff of her husband’s quarantine order, discovered after she was admitted and now both face sanctions, that include possible criminal charges.
Just in the first 8 days of this month, the number of new positive cases grew from 3,763 on July 1 to 5,836 on the 8th, and increase of 2,073, and 8 deaths in the same period (from 17 to 25).
In the first three months of the pandemic (March 6 to June 6), there were only 1,263 confirmed cases and 10 deaths. See COVID-19 timeline here.
(QCOSTARICA) The headquarters of the Phytosanitary service of the Caja Costarricense de Seguro Social (CCSS), at the Peñas Blancas border with Nicaragua was attacked on Wednesday night, while personnel carried out COVID-19 screening.
The event occurred at 6:48 pm when five officials from the health area of La Cruz carried out the test for the new coronavirus on a trucker and several national and resident passers-by.
At that moment, a projectile went through a kitchen window of the building and bounced off the wall, without hitting any of those present. A cleaning officer, another from medical records, a nurse and two doctors were surprised by the strong detonation and the smell of gunpowder.
Although no worker was injured, they were subjected to an anxiety crisis due to the situation, according to the CCSS.
At this border point, the institution maintains COVID-19 screening from 6 am to midnight, in two shifts.
Personnel from the National Emergency Commission (CNE) also work at this headquarters, but none were present at the time of the incident, their work is only during the day.
The Organismo de Investigacion Judicial (OIJ) is investigating, presumed is that the attack was carried out by an organized criminal group.
The headquarters is located near the border line where illegal trade, prostitution, and human trafficking are common at night.
On July 6, health personnel entered quarters in the capital to verify conditions and test tenants. Photo: Alonso Tenorio
(QCOSTARICA) Case records don’t last long. This Wednesday another 350 confirmed infections were reported in the last 24 hours.
On July 6, health personnel entered flophouses (cuarterías) in the capital to verify conditions and test tenants. Photo: Alonso Tenorio
According to the information provided by the Ministry of Health, with this figure, the cumulative total of 5,836 affected people has been reached in the more than four months of the pandemic.
In these numbers, agricultural laborers and inhabitants of populous neighborhoods in the Central Valley, and, among the most recent, tenants of flophouses (cuarteriías) and now construction workers, have stood out in recent weeks.
Daniel Salas, Minister of Health, affirmed that there are 200 infections associated with the construction sector that have been detected in the last two weeks, which is why he called on businessmen and construction supervisors to ensure the application of preventive measures.
“So please verify that in the middle of the construction work all the protocols are followed. It is very sensitive and we have had a number of cases that exceed 200 in the last two weeks, they are not just direct cases, but the exposures they at the community level,” he said.
The number of hospitalized on Wednesday reached 117, of which 11 in intensive care.
Two deaths, numbers 24 and 25, were recorded on Wednesday.
A mid-day the death of a 61-year-old Costa Rican man was reported. The man suffered from advanced liver disease, smoking and associated immunosuppression status, that is, with a weakened immune system.
Wednesday night, the Ministry of Health reported the death number 25 of a COVID-19 patient, a 79-year-old Costa Rican man, a resident of the province of Alajuela, in addition to age had a risk factor for COVID-19, had a history of stroke.
By gender, the total deaths are 15 men and 10 women; by age, the range is from 26 to 92 years.
(QCOSTARICA) Two deaths by COVID-19 were recorded on Wednesday, July 8, for an accumulated total of 25.
Death 24 was announced at the noon presser by the Minister of Health, Daniel Salas. As the family had not been contacted yet, the Minister did not provide any details.
Later in the afternoon, we learned the deceased was a 61-year-old Costa Rican man, who died in the Calderón Guardia Hospital, where he had been hospitalized since July 6, the same day he was diagnosed with the coronavirus.
The man suffered from advanced liver disease, smoking and associated immunosuppression status, that is, with a weakened immune system.
Wednesday night, the Ministry of Health reported the death number 25 of a COVID-19 patient.
This is a 79-year-old Costa Rican man, a resident of the province of Alajuela.
The death occurred in the San Francisco de Asís hospital in Grecia, where he had been hospitalized since July 5, the same date he was diagnosed.
The deceased, in addition to age, had a risk factor for COVID-19, had a history of stroke.
By gender, the total deaths are 15 men and 10 women; by age, the range is from 26 to 92 years.
(QCOSTARICA) The Costa Rica immigration service – Dirección General de Migración y Extranjería (DGME) – this morning, Wednesday, July 8, 2020, published in La Gaceta Resolution N° DJUR-0105-07-2020-JM, which, in summary, states:
Tourists (non-Residents) who entered the country after December 17, 2019, may legally remain in Costa Rica until November 18, 2020. This is an automatic extension.
Also, important to note, the DGME will remain closed to the public until September 18, 2020
Border restrictions
Borders remain restricted until August 01, 2020.
Only Costa Ricans and foreigner residents (temporary or permanent), people with Special Categories, applications in progress filed, parents of minor Costa Rican nationals, spouses of Costa Rican nationals, the latter two if accompanied by the Costa Rican national, and who did not leave the country after March 24, 2020, are permitted entry at all land, sea and air borders.
Residents, people with Special Categories, parents of minor Costa Rican children, spouses of Costa Rican nationals or applications in progress who departed the country after March 24, 2020, WILL NOT BE ALLOWED TO RE-ENTER until our borders fully reopen
Señor/a Extranjero/a:
Es importante que usted se informe antes del salir del país, si requiere hacerlo, ya que recuerde…
Driving license privileges for people who entered the country as tourists after December 17, 2019, have been extended until August 18, 2020. This date, as in previous instances, is expected to be extended by the Ministry of Transport to November 18, 2020.
Residency applications and renewals
Immigration WILL NOT receive Residency applications until September 18, 2020. This includes all categories, in other words, residency applications are suspended until September 18, 2020.
Residency cedula (commonly known as DIMEX) requests will be solely through Banco de Costa Rica (BCR) and Correos de Costa Rica by appointment only except for Temporary Residency based on Marriage, who can secure the initial DIMEX if recently approved, renewals will have to wait until September 18 to request an appointment.
DIMEX cards for Permanent Residents will be extended until September 30, 2020; for Temporary Residents and Special Categories that have expired after December 18, 2019, will be extended until September 30, 2020, after which residents, as well as Special Categories, will have up to three months, to renew, failing which will result in the cancellation of status.DIMEX cards can be renewed at the Banco de Costa Rica (BCR) or Correos de Costa Rica (Post Office) to avoid the rush in September at immigration. Renewals at the BCR and Correos come with an agency fee.
For all the details, see La Gaceta (PDF) file in Spanish here.
(QCOSTARICA) Without fully understanding what was happening and without being able to say goodbye, a foreigner residing in Costa Rica was separated from his Costa Rican children upon arrival at the Juan Santamaría airport in San Jose and forced to return to the United States.
The arrivals hall at the Juan Santamaria International airport in San Jose
The incident occurred on the rainy morning of June 14, when Keith Clower and his two minor children, ages 10 and 14, were returning from an emergency trip they had to make to Florida due to the death of a relative.
Rebecca Savitsky Vargas, a Costa Rican and Clower’s ex-wife, told La Nación that she realized what had happened while she was waiting for her family outside the terminal.
“I got a message from Keith. He told me that the boys had been taken elsewhere and he was not allowed to pass (…). They (the children) didn’t know what was going on, they just knew that they wouldn’t see their dad anymore.
“They were going to be taken away by the Patronato Nacional de la Infancia (child welfare agency), it didn’t even occur to them to ask if they had a mother. It was when an airport employee that he came out and I asked him. He went back and returned with news,” said Savitsky.
The woman said that immigration officials prevented her husband from entering, alleging that the country had closed its borders to foreigners as part of the measures against COVID-19.
However, she alleged that his spouse is a permanent resident in Costa Rica and fulfilled the conditions established by the health authorities as exceptions to the incoming restriction.
She indicated that her ex-husband presented the documents that stated that he was the father of the minors and the death certificate of his sister, but that they still forced him to return on the same flight he came in on.
The family filed an appeal (recurso de amparo) to the Constitutional Court or Sala IV, as it is commonly referred to, against Raquel Vargas, head of Costa Rican immigration service, the Dirección General de Migración y Extranjería (DGME).
The appeal indicates that, in addition to failing to comply with the regulations established to allow foreigners to enter the country, the rights of the two minors were also violated.
Clower is currently in Florida awaiting a resolution.
Regarding this case, the DGME indicated: “the particular case of Mr. Keith Alan Clower, it is stated that he is a permanent resident and precisely had an entry impediment, a situation for which, despite appearing to be within one of the cases of exception to the restriction of entry, could not enter the country and the respective rejection was made”.
After the government imposed border restrictions to deal with the pandemic, which includes the entry ban of foreigner residents who left the country after March 24, immigration issued a series of provisions on exceptional cases.
In fact, two circulars published in the months of March and April indicate that admission is allowed for foreigner parents with Costa Rican minor children who are duly accredited.
The foreigner’s family reported that the Sala IV admitted the appeal last Thursday. Now, they are waiting for some resolution.
The appeal requests that the director ff Immigration be ordered to nullify the administrative acts that prevented Clower from entering Costa Rica.
It also demands that the foreigner be allowed to return to the country as soon as possible in accordance with airport immigration procedures.
In addition, it requests that “the State be ordered to pay personal and procedural costs, as well as for damages generated by the reproached behaviors, basically represented in the pain, anguish, and uncertainty of those affected by not having their parent at their side, as well as for the expenses and charges assumed by Mr. Clower”.
(QCOSTARICA) Air France and British Airways confirmed that they will reactivate their regular flights to Costa Rica in October, while Edelweiss would do so in August, reported Aeris, the manager of the Juan Santamaría International (San Jose) airport.
Aeris said that British Airways with service to London, England would begin to haul tourists to and from the old continent to staring October 11; Air France, with service to Paris, would do so from October 14. Edelweiss, which flies to Zurich (Switzerland), would start flights on August 6.
For its part, Air Canada confirmed its return to normal flights for Toronto on September 1. Meanwhile, American Airlines would start on August 5 with service to Miami (Florida) and Dallas (Houston); Delta confirmed its return to operations to Atlanta (Georgia) starting August 17.
The expected frequencies of all airlines are yet unknown, as they are still in the process of formalizing their renewal of operations before Costa Rica’s Civil Aviation.
On June 26, Minister of Health, Daniel Salas, announced that the international airports, the Juan Santamaría (SJO) and Daniel Oduber, in Liberia, Guanacaste (LIR) would resume their activities on August 1, with flights that would initially only come from countries or cities that have “more controlled” disease, referring to COVID-19.
Last week, the European Union (EU) left Costa Rica out of the initial “safe” list of countries authorized to resume commercial flights to the 27 EU nations, within the gradual lifting of restrictions on non-essential travel from countries external to the EU.
The manager of the San Jose airport clarified that all the operations foreseen in July by Iberia (Madrid, Spain) and United (Texas) are rescue flights – that is only Costa Rican nationals and foreigners with residence (and not having left Costa Rica after March 25) coming in – but anyone may flight out as long as they meet travel requirements to the destination country.
Iberia has a scheduled flight that will leave Costa Rica on July 11 specifically for permitted travelers to the EU in Costa Rica (see image below); the incoming flight arrives from Madrid the day prior.
Residents allowed traveling to Spain from Costa Rica
For now, the follow-up Iberia flight is on July 17.
Meanwhile United has limited weekly service to and from Houston, Texas.
The borders have been closed to international tourists since March 18. The measure was originally until June 30, however, the growth in the number of cases prompted the Ministry of Health to extend to August 1.
The situation is hitting hard on the tourism sector, which claims to have protocols in place to receive visitors safely.
RICO’S DIGEST – Costa Rica’s main source of tourists is being left high and dry in the coronavirus era as Americans are being banned from travel to many countries.
Although Costa Rica is not one of those countries, as it maintains a general, for all foreigners from entering the country. Until August 1, for now.
US citizens have been shut out of their neighboring country to the north; to the south, governors are pleading with the central government to introduce tighter restrictions on travelers from the United States.
Europe’s tourism-dependent economy has shut out some 15 million U.S. tourists from entering the European and Schengen countries as of July 1.
The ban causing lots of confusion for Americans considering or who already have travel plans to visit Costa Rica.
It is unlikely that Costa Rica, in continuing with its plan to reopen its borders to international tourists on August 1, will, like the EU, ban U.S. travelers.
I believe the postponing of July 1 to August 1 reopening was just that: Costa Rica did not want to open its borders but ban American tourists that make up the majority of the visits to the country.
Since the United States has more confirmed coronavirus cases than anywhere else in the world, with numbers increasing in some states each day, it is a sticky situation for Costa Rica to allow US travelers.
Where does this leave US citizens with a penchant for travel, nostalgic for the pre-pandemic days when a US passport promised access to much of the world and now finding themselves unwanted?
Discussing this with my good friend and Q contributor, Rick Philps, he suggested a 4 point solution to revive U.S. tourists in Costa Rica:
Would-be U.S. travelers submit to a 14-day pre-travel (monitored) quarantine at home.
U.S. travelers must test negative for COVID after the 14-day quarantine, certified by a medical officer in the U.S.
The U.S. traveler is shuttled from home to the airport under quarantine and board a direct flight to Costa Rica.
On arrival to Costa Rica, the U.S. traveler present the virus-free certificate and is free to do what tourists do.
In the alternative, Costa Rica could, at least until the United States gets its situation under control, allow entry to U.S. citizens:
with an essential function or need in Costa Rica
can visit to attend business meetings and “to perform services” in Costa Rica
who hold permanent or temporary legal residency in Costa Rica who left after March 25
What’s your opinion?
I would like to hear from you. Send me an email at rico@theqmedia.com, post your comments on the Q’s official Facebook page or Twitter.
Thanks for listening.
Stay at home. Stay safe. Stay Healthy. Don’t be a covidiotahp, wear a mask.
Rico’s Covid-19 Digest – In the last couple of weeks, we’ve had a sharp increase in COVID-19 infections, adding more than 4,000 new cases, 5x and more hospitalizations and doubling the number of deceased, in the last month alone.
But, when we compare to our neighbors, we’re still in good shape.
Here are the numbers as of July 7, 2020 (from Johns Hopkins):
El Salvador 8,566 cases (3,198 active), 235 deaths
Costa Rica 5,486 cases (3,653 active), 23 deaths
Nicaragua 2,846 cases, 91 deaths is the official information, the reality is said to be from 7x to 10x the official numbers.
Although Costa Rica continues to an example in the world and thus recognized by digital media, international organizations, and governments, we must not let our guard down.
Only apart we can together overcome the virus.
Stay at home. Stay safe. Stay healthy. Don’t he a covidiota and pongase mask.
(QCOSTARICA) Will the spike in new cases, increased hospitalizations and deaths of the past couple of weeks delay the reopening of borders to tourists set to occur – for the time being – in less than 30 days?
On Monday, the Minister of Public Security, Micheal Soto, confirmed that the reopening will occur on August 1, who explained that this decision is made based on a team made up of he and the leaders of the Ministry of Health and the Caja Costarricense de Seguro Social (CCSS).
The concern was raised due to the rapid growth of COVID-19 infections in the country. For example, on July 6, four months after the first case was reported, the accumulated infections were 5,241. A month ago, on June 6, the accumulated total was 1,263.
That is, in a month there were 3,978 new cases fo the COVID-19 confirmed. The number of hospitalizations increased from a constant number under 20, to Tuesday’s 107. The same with the deaths, 13 in 30 days, almost double the 12 in three months. On July 6, a record 3 people were reported deceased in 24 hours.
Costa Rica went from having one of the lowest contagion rates – a key indicator of how the virus moves in a population – in Latin America up to May to have, in June, placed within the first three places in the region.
Despite the confirmation that the August 1 date stands, Soto explained that the reopening of borders to foreigners could be re-evaluated due to the increase in cases.
“We make evaluations, analyzes and points of view of all the areas. The topic has a lot to do with quantitative, qualitative issues, between valuing economy and health. The subject of human life is still important.
“The group has made the decision to open it on August 1. Undoubtedly there will be circumstances that must be evaluated that could change or not. It is a group position,” cited the hierarch, who evidently left the possibility open to future adjustments in the decision.
Since the emergency began, the country has kept the entrance to nationals and foreigners with residence (provided they did not leave the country after March 24). However, eventually, enabling the entry of all foreigners would allow repositioning the country as a tourist destination.
On June 21, Health Minister, Daniel Salas, described as a “difficult route” to achieve a balance between the country’s health safety and the revival of the economy, which this year will drop -3.6% of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) due to the COVID-19 hit in multiple productive sectors.
Tourism, precisely, would be at the head of the most hit industries due to the impact of the new coronavirus.
One of the major concerns, not just in Costa Rica but around the world, is the coronavirus situation in the United States, where more than half of tourists to Costa Rica come from.
(QCOSTARICA) In the last two weeks, in Costa Rica, we have seen daily reports of COVID-19 cases rise from the no longer the same 30 or 40 that were used to hearing two months ago; now they are over 200 and even 300 per day.
On July 5, a record of 375 new cases in 24 hours were reported.
For specialists from the Central American Population Center (CCP), from the University of Costa Rica (UCR), each sick person is infecting today up to five times more than in April and early May.
While in April a contaminated person transmitted the virus to 0.4 people, at the close of June it rose to 1.97. That is, each positive person passes it to almost two people, on average.
In Latin America, Paraguay closed that month with a contagion rate of 2.1, placing Costa Rica in second place.
Following are El Salvador, Argentina, Honduras, Colombia, Ecuador and Guatemala. At the other extreme, that is, with the lowest transmission rate, are Cuba, Chile, Peru and Puerto Rico.
Nicaragua and Venezuela were excluded from the list “because their data is not credible,” says the CCP study.
To compare the position of Costa Rica, the state of Florida, which reached a contagion rate of 1.7, can be taken as a reference.
“It is important to underline that the R rate (Virus Reproduction Rate) is not an appropriate indicator of the degree of severity of the pandemic. It only indicates its potential for proliferation. To quantify the severity of the pandemic, it is convenient to use an indicator of mortality,” adds the CCP.
“This, the contagion rate, is a key indicator of how the virus moves in a population, it is not the only one, but it is one that we must pay attention to when making decisions,” said demographer and public health worker Luis Rosero Bixby, who is also a CCP researcher.
According to the numbers of the CCP, Costa Rica went from having one of the lowest rates in Latin America, in April and the beginning of May, to having, in June, numbers that place it within the first three places in the region.
“The number began to rise after Semana Santa (Easter), and since May 20 it increased more. Then we reached the peak of Latin American countries with the highest rates of contagion, “after Paraguay, said the demographer.
“In Paraguay, something very interesting happened. They were very good but there were outbreaks in prisons and this triggered the contagion. They are already working on it. There are other places that compete with Costa Rica, such as Florida, which I included in the analysis for having a very large Latino population. They also have a similar rate to ours. Honduras has also been in competition for this place, El Salvador and Guatemala have been rising, but they are taking measures,” said Rosero.
The mortality rate in Latin America up to July 7
He warned that Costa Rica, with that 1.97, it has reached a very high contagion speed. This is bad, yes, but there is also good news: it has not risen sharply in recent weeks and we can lower the number if action is taken.
“A reproduction rate of more than 3 could be catastrophic and fortunately we have not reached that far. So you have to try to lower it, yes we can; Chile did it with more confinement measures,” said Rosero.
The reproductive rate last week in Latin America
Regarding the factor of virus severity, Costa Rica is rather the country with the lowest lethality, below 0.4%. This indicator measures how many people die from the virus. Even with the 23 deceased, this number is the lowest in the region.
How the virus spread evolves
The graph shows the reproductive number of the virus, it means how many people each patient infects, it is recommended that it be below 1, Costa Rica closed June with 1.97.
For the CCP “this is very serious” because it means a potential for doubling every 7 days in the number of people infected. And to this, Rosero added: “Maybe a little more.”
How to lower the contagion rate?
The message from Rosero and Guiselle Guzmán, head of the Collective Health Area of the Caja Costarricense de Seguro Social (CCSS), is clear: this contagion rate can be lowered, but it requires the work not only of those who design public health policies but also of all.
“In Chile, it was achieved. The so-called ‘Operation Santiago’ made it possible to go down, but more rigorous measures must be taken,” said Rosero.
Quarantine zones and sanitary cords were placed within the strategies of the Santiago operation in some highly contagious and high-risk areas.
The quarantine is embodied in the obligation of people subject to the measure of not leaving their usual homes for the period that the authority provides,” indicates the Ministry of Health of Chile on its website.
“The sanitary cord prohibits the entry and exit of certain territories. However, the population residing in these localities can leave their homes and move within the commune (if a quarantine has not been established in that area),” adds the website.
For Rosero, it is not a “copy-paste” the measures of other countries or do them for indefinite periods: it is to adapt them to each population.
For the expert, more specific measures should be taken for cantons where not only more active cases are demonstrated, but also a higher contagion rate, especially if the traceability of the links has been lost, as has occurred in the cantones of San Jose, the district of Pavas in particular, and Desamparados and Alajuelita.
“Stay at home as much as you can, especially if you have risk factors (elderly, hypertension, diabetes, obesity), but if you must go out, keep as far as possible, distance from others, wear a mask and wash thoroughly hands,” said Rosero.
(QCOSTARICA) Hospitalizations reached their highest number since the start of the pandemic on Tuesday with 107 patients, most of them admitted to the Specialized Center for the Care of Covid-19 (Ceaco), in La Uruca.
The number of patients in medical centers increased by 19 in just 24 hours, according to data provided by the Minister of Health, Daniel Salas.
Of the 107 patients, 11 are in intensive care (ICU).
The Ministry of Health reported for July 7, 245 new cases of the coronavirus, reaching an accumulated total of 5,486 in four months, more than 4,000 new cases in the last month alone.
Román Macaya, executive president of the Caja Costarricense de Seguro Social (CCSS), announced this Monday, the Ceaco will be full this week. This was also confirmed by the entity’s medical manager, Mario Ruiz Cubillo, who estimates that by Wednesday or Thursday, there will be no unoccupied beds in Ceaco.
The average length of stay in this center is 8 to 10 days.
This situation forces the Caja to take other actions.
The first is to issue the order to hire the necessary personnel to supply Ceaco. The second action is the reconversion of beds, that is, spaces that were not originally considered for COVID-19 patients, to reserve them for that purpose.
“We are organizing with the directors of hospitals in the country the expansion strategy, which we are already putting into operation in different centers, for the reconversion of beds.
A total of 1,810 COVID-19 patients have recovered, the number of deaths remains at 23 (10 women and 13 men) after a spike this past week that saw 11 deaths in 10 days.
The hot spot for the contagion is now the Central Valley. According to the CCSS medical manager, Maio Ruisz, in the northern zone, there the patients “keep coming” and positive diagnoses remain, although not to the extent that they occur in the Central Valley at this time, which is where the majority of the population lives.
(QCOSTARICA) On July 1 the European Union (EU) Member States approved a list of 15 countries, considered as ‘safe’ due to their epidemiological situation related to the Coronavirus.
Costa Rica is one of the countries not on the list. But, is entry into a EU country based on physical location or nationality?
They, the EU, have not specified. Shengenvisainfonews.com reports travelers must first check with the EU country they wish to visit, as the Member States are permitted to exclude some of the countries from the list when it comes to who can enter their borders since the EU policy is not legally binding.
From Costa Rica, a number of European airlines provide regular direct service to Spain (Iberia), France (Air France), Germany (Lufthansa, Condor), Switzerland (Edelweiss), the UK (British Airways) and Holland (KLM)
Although Lufthansa and Air France, prior to July 1, had announced flights this month they were pushed back to August when Costa Rica announced it would continue with border restrictions until August 1, 2020.
Of the group, Iberia has maintained limited service to and from the San Jose (SJO) and Madrid, Spain (MAD). The next flight is on July 11, after that July 19 and July 26.
Nationals & residents allowed to travel to Spain. Screencapture of IATA COVID-19 Travel Regulations Map
Iberia’s support staff was of no help in answering the question, they only sell tickets. However, the airline’s website has a link to the IATA Travel Centre COVID-19 Travel Regulations Map that provided the answer.
According to IATA, published July 7, 2020, passengers are not allowed to enter Spain until 31 July 2020 but does not apply to:
Nationals and residents of Spain;
Passengers arriving from Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czechia, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland (Rep.), Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Sweden, Switzerland or United Kingdom;
Residents of Andorra, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Canada, Croatia, Cyprus, Czechia, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Georgia, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland (Rep.), Italy, Japan, Korea (Rep.), Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Monaco, Montenegro, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Rwanda, San Marino, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Thailand, Tunisia, Uruguay or Vatican City (Holy See).
Based on the above, nationality and not locality is the answer to our question.
Thus, while Costa Rican nationals are not permitted entry into Spain and other European countries, nationals from the above “does not apply” list in Costa Rica, can travel from Costa Rica to Spain and other European countries.
Travel restrictions to Costa Rica. Screencapture of IATA COVID-19 Travel Regulations Map
Editor’s Note: The information is correct to the best to our knowledge at the time of publication. Given the rapidly evolving nature of the international response to the COVID-19 outbreak, check the latest from IATA here.
In addition, you should make your own independent inquiries before relying on any information or materials contained on this page.
Transito (traffic official) Andrhea Briceño posted this photo and message on Twitter.
Her biggest complaint is the attitude of the people during the national emergency, “People act badly on the roads, you have to issue fines and the question is: How are you going to fine me with the bad situation the country is in? That is, with expired licenses since 2016, children without a child seat or booster, confounded faces.
“Another pandemic lives on the street and is called irresponsibility”, said the official.
(QCOSTARICA) Although we are in the rainy or “green” season, the sun can be strong and we have to take care of exposure to ultraviolet radiation.
For this, the IMN, Costa Rica’s national weather institute, publishes a UV radiation map and index daily.
Tuesday, July 7, 2020
For Tuesday, July 7, 2020, the IMN has an index of 10 for Guanacaste, 9 for the northern zone, 7 for the central and south Pacific (Puntarenas), 8 for Limon and Hererdia and 12 for the Central Valley (San Jose).
The higher the index, the more protection against UV radiation is recommended. In the case of the Central Valley, for example, the recommendation for today is: extra protection is required, avoid being outside at noon, cover yourself, including a hat and sunscreen.
Oh, and don’t forget the umbrella and galoshes (ask a Canadian what they are), for heavy rains throughout most of the country will be prevalent in the afternoon.
Ultraviolet (UV) is a form of electromagnetic radiation with wavelength from 10 nm (with a corresponding frequency of approximately 30 PHz) to 400 nm (750 THz), shorter than that of visible light but longer than X-rays.
UV radiation is present in sunlight, and constitutes about 10% of the total electromagnetic radiation output from the Sun.
(QCOSTARICA) It was around 6:00 pm Monday, an hour before the complete vehicular restrictions went into effect and commerce was to shutter, officers from the Municipal Police of Escazú, proceeded to ask the residents this canton to stay at home.
The action was carried out in the vicinity of the Municipal Palace in downtown Escazú, in front of the monument of the heroes of Escazú, explained Freddy Guillén, Chief of the Escazú Municipal Police.
“In a space of no more than 5 minutes, they will cry out to their own and unknown (residents of Escazú and not), to leave the parties, outings, walks and, for their own lives and that of others, to stay at home. #QuédateEnCasa,” emphasized the municipal authorities of the canton.
The activity takes place on the day that Costa Rica surpassed 5,000 confirmed cases of the COVID-19 and 23 deaths.
(QCOSTARICA) About 60 old, unsanitary foams are piled up in a dilapidated building in San José. Sleeping there costs ¢1,000 a night. For many it is little, for others, it is much and more than enough. Think about the pandemic before going there? That is the least.
San Jose municipal police inspection of a cuartería
This is how hundreds of people live every day in Costa Rica’s capital city and in other areas of the country. In the shadow of an old social problem that is afloat, now more than ever, because of the coronavirus COVID-19 pandemic.
That image is narrated by Marcelo Solano Ortiz, chief of the San José Municipal Police, who explained that since the health emergency began, the cuarterías (flophouses) have been in the crosshairs due to the vulnerability they represent for the spread of the disease.
Several positive cases have already been detected in occupants of these buildings. The most recent was the 19th COVID-19 fatality, a young man, whose identity was not revealed, who died on Saturday, July 4 after entering the San Juan de Dios Hospital in shock. The post-mortem test revealed that he had COVID-19. As a result, 50 inhabitants of the flophouse are in quarantine.
“We are trying to solve, in the framework of the health emergency and in a few days, of an unsolved problem over the years. The approach is truly difficult. People demand that the flophouses be intervened and closed. It is the popular demand, but the flophouses exist throughout the country and have become the roof solution for many people,” said Solano.
In San José, the canton with the highest number of active cases of COVID-19, there are buildings that charge amounts of between ¢1,000 and ¢5,000 per night. They are places not in a condition to house dozens of people.
Some are open areas, with the foams stacked on the floor, without the minimum effort of physical and social distance. They have few toilets or showers for so many people.
For example, in the worst cases, room share light bulbs between battered divisions. Meanwhile, in “better” conditions, some buildings have living rooms or more “spacious” common spaces.
“It is a very lucrative business for people who have buildings in ruined condition. They do not invest in building maintenance. By keeping the building in ruin they are responsible for urban deterioration and without making investments they have profits of up to ¢2 million or ¢3 million colones per month. All at the expense of people who only have ¢1,000 to spend the night,” said the police chief.
Legal resistance
You have to differentiate the cuarterías from the pensiones. Despite being similar, they operate under considerable differences. The former do not have any operating permits, while the latter do have guarantees to operate under a scheme similar to that of hostels. Generally the latter are not problems for the authorities.
Solano explained that there are judicial limitations so that the police control can be carried out against the flophouses. For example, there are constitutional rulings that restricted interventions by stating that rooms are private property. Also, the resolutions asked to take into account that flophouses prevent an increase in the number of people sleeping in the streets.
“Previously, police would break into rooms. The administrator opened the rooms and the police carried out a search, with a drug dog and focused, for example, on verifying that sex workers did not turn these places into brothels.
“But, years ago, the Constitutional Court warned us that the police could not break into the rooms because they were private areas. The existence of leases under the tenancy law should be considered, regardless of whether the walls were permanent or temporary. It is private property. This caused the raids of the cuarterías to slow down,” said Solano.
Since the health crisis began, the Municipal Police has identified 8 flophouses. All in unsanitary conditions and with temporary inhabitants in extremely high vulnerability to the spread of the virus.
“They are people who are going through difficult situations from the socio-economic point of view. It is clear that they do not operate under the law. They (the flophouses) do not have a sanitary operating permit and represent an important factor in the expansion of COVID-19,” said Daniel Salas, Minister of Health.
Salas, who leads the national crusade against the pandemic, added that these “are issues that emerge in different phases of the emergency” and point to an inter-institutional approach.
As of Monday, July 6, the central canton of San José reported 56 new cases for a total of 743 active cases. Meanwhile, throughout the country, 3,452 patients with active disease were registered.
Also on Monday, the Municipal police maintained an increased presence and strict control of the flophouses under quarantine, prohibiting those inside from leaving.
(QCOSTARICA) In just six days in July, seven deaths were reported in Costa Rica, associated with COVID-19, the week prior there were 4, for a total of 11 in nine days, bringing the deaths to 23 since the start of the health emergency in March.
Maintaining social distancing and wearing a mask is a fundamental measure to avoid contagion, however, not all take this provision.The photo was taken by Alonso Tenorio over the weekend in downtown San José.
Although the percentage in relation to the number of infections – Mortality Risk of COVID-19 – is still very low (0.4%), authorities are concerned, especially because they have accelerated.
The last four deaths were confirmed between Sunday night and 1:30 pm this Monday. It was Minister Salas himself, who, at the daily press conference, in his epidemiological report announced death number 23: a 92-year-old woman, hospitalized in the Calderón Guardia since July 4, and who had risk factors.
“We do not have to get used to counting the figures as a number only, but what I indicated, behind each death, of each person admitted to the ICU, there are many families who are waiting and who have suffered. This is a loss for the whole country,” said Daniel Salas.
On Monday, the Ministry of Health reported 245 new cases of the disease, a number lower than the almost four hundred Saturday (310) and Sunday (375) and an accumulated total of 5,241, double that of two weeks ago.
Thanks to infections, the number of hospitalizations has also increased, reaching 88 on Monday. So far, patients requiring intensive care have not grown, remaining stable during the past couple of weeks, on Monday dropping to nine following the latest death.
Román Macaya, executive president of the Caja Costarricense de Seguro Social (CCSS), announced that at this rate, the Specialized Center for Care of Covid-19 (Ceaco), in La Uruca, will be at its maximum capacity this week.
But just as these figures do not stop, neither do the ‘fiestas’ (parties) and conglomerations in the country’s neighborhoods.
Between Friday and Sunday, the 9-1-1 emergency system received 1,300 alerts for activities across the country, as confirmed by the Minister of Public Security, Michael Soto.
“One would believe that with the numbers that the minister (of Health) has just indicated there is greater awareness, but this is not the case; we continue having ends moved with the unconsciousness of some citizens,” lashed out Soto.
In Purral de Goicoechea, for example, the police arrived after the report of a party; On site, the organizer received them, drunk and with a machete in hand.
“He had to be disarmed and arrested. We reached that level when what we want is to serve the population,” added the security minister.
Such is the situation, that according to Soto, they develop procedures with the Judicial Power so that, when necessary, a judge issues search warrants that allow them to stop the activity.
However, he says, things should not get to that situation, because what is at stake is the safety of families.
Minister Salas, for his part, recalled the possibility of establishing fines in those cases in which there is a breach of sanitary orders.
Faced with these circumstances, he said, the fine is made without considering whether or not the person can pay it, responding to a question by press.
“We do not want to fine anyone, but a fine is to tell them ‘don’t do it again’ and that those around you see that it is something that can happen, see the number of people who are hospitalized, who are dying,” said.
“If we all start to party, I assure you that the health services will collapse and collapse big time,” he said.
For this Monday, the cantons with the highest number of active cases, that is, with contagion capacity are San José with 743; Desamparados, 264; and Alajuela, 221, followed by Alajuelita with 217, and Heredia with 192, the most populated areas of the Greater Metropolitan Area (GAM).
Outside the GAM, San Carlos, in the northern zone, continues with the highest number of active cases, with 103.
On Monday, in Alajulita, the CCSS under the direction of the Ministry of Health began a massive testing campaign was started looking for asymptomatic and pre-symptomatic infections.
Of the 23 deaths reported to Monday, 10 are women and 13 are men, with ages ranging from 26 to 92 years.
According to Salas, the combination of hypertension and diabetes occurred in eight of the victims, while another six suffered only from hypertension. This checks the weight of the risk factors.
“This risk factor always calls us to remember that all of us who have these factors or who have family members with those factors, we have to be very cautious, very disciplined to protect that population. The idea is that they do not out in public places,” he said.
He also called on the employers of this group to change their jobs if they must attend the public, at least temporarily.
“That the protocols are very rigorous in the workplace and in different activities. They shouldn’t be out and about,” he said.
Of the fatalities, the largest group, with 13 people, is between 65 and 92 years, that is, seniors, who are the population at the highest risk.
One of the fatalities is that of a young man, who arrived at the hospital in shock and no identification. The young man was living in a downtown San Jose rooming house, which is now, as several other rooming houses, under quarantine and guarded by the San Jose Municipal police.
By nationality, there are 18 Costa Ricans, four foreigners, and the case of the young man under investigation.
Salas recalled that a commission is already in the process of being formed to analyze the deaths, since not all of them were due to complications due to the virus. The intent of that group is to determine whether these people died from COVID-19 or due to that disease.
The country no longer has the advantage
Although he tried to continue the sports analogy that weeks ago the director of Health Surveillance, Rodrigo Marín, used when he said that the country was winning 1 to 0, beating COVID; Minister Salas was doubtful.
First, he said he didn’t dare give a marker, that it was difficult. In the end, however, he recognized what is clear, there no longer is the advantage.
“I would say that it is difficult to say the scoreboard, it is not a game, it is something from real life, it is not a simulation, we are not doing an exercise to see how we are doing,” he reflected.
Salas considers that the majority of the population abides by the health measures, the problem is that there is always a percentage that does not.
“Why do people ignore and throw parties? In the end, we only live once, you only have one life, it is a difficult year, different.
“If there is no proper behavior, many of them will depart, it is a life decision, not a game. Of course, one can compare it to a game: we are not with the advantage we were with a time ago,” he acknowledged.
(QCOSTARICA) Eight of the 23 deaths of COVID-19 patients suffered from high blood pressure and diabetes, six suffered from high blood pressure, both diseases being the most common risk factors among COVID-19 deaths.
Another common risk factor is age.
Of the total deaths, 18 people are Costa Ricans, four foreigners and one is under investigation; By age range, we have four people between 25 to 45 years old, five from 45 to 65 years old, 13 people from 65 to 92 years old and one unknown*.
Date of death
Gender
Age
Nationality
COVID-19 associated condition
March 18
Male
87
Costa Rican
Age
March 19
Male
87
Costa Rican
Age and vascular problems
April 8
Male
45
Costa Rican
No risk factors
April 15
Male
84
Costa Rican
High blood pressure and age
April 19
Male
69
Costa Rican
High blood pressure
April 20
Male
54
Costa Rican
High blood pressure and diabetes
May 10
Male
80
Foreigner
High blood pressure and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD
May 13
Male
75
Costa Rican
High blood pressure and was anticoagulated by cardiac surgery.
May 15
Female
58
Costa Rican
High blood pressure and cancer
May 15
Male
73
Costa Rican
High blood pressure and aortic valve heart disease
June 8
Female
26
Costa Rican
Asthma (diagnosed post mortem)
June 10
Female
64
Costa Rican
High blood pressure, diabetes and liver problems
June 27
Female
78
Costa Rican
High blood pressure and diabetes
June 27
Female
87
Costa Rican
Did not suffer from chronic diseases
June 28
Female
48
Foreigner
High blood pressure and diabetes
June 30
Female
89
Costa Rican
High blood pressure and diabetes
July 1
Female
71
Costa Rican
High blood pressure and diabetes
July 2
Female
38
Foreigner
Diabetes and obesity
July 2
Male
51
Costa Rican
No risk factors available
July 5
Male
Unknown*
Unknown*
Unknown*
July 6
Male
43
Foreigner
High blood pressure and diabetes
July 6
Male
81
Costa Rican
High blood pressure, diabetes, anemia and a history of squamous cell carcinoma.
Unknown* – A young man living in rooming house in downtown San Jose arrived at the San Juan de Dios hospital without identification. He tested positive for COVID-19 post-mortem.
(QCOSTARICA) A total of 1,850 people are the target of the massive random testing that the Caja Costarricense de Seguro Social (CCSS) will be carrying out, in the canton of Alajuelita, on the south side of San Jose, from this Monday to July 8.
Dr. Román Macaya, president executive of the CCSS said that a contingent of 100 CCSS officials under the coordination of the Epidemiological Surveillance subarea of the central level and the Alajuelita health area will work in a total of 23 of the 111 neighborhoods of the canton.
The test will be carried out on people five years of age and older who live in communities such as: Chorotega, Corina Rodríguez, Los Pinos, Alajuelita Centro, La Guápil, San Felipe, Tejarcillos, San Josecito, Juan Rafael Mora, Vista Real, San Felipe 1, Calle Alto Parte Este, Concepción Arriba, El Tejar, Las Vegas, Piedras de Fuego, Cochea, Antolina, Calle Vieja al Colegio, Los Almendros, Riveras del Río, Ocho de Diciembre and Avenida Seis.
Two blocks were defined in each neighborhood and for each block a sample will be taken from 30 asymptomatic people, which means 60 people per neighborhood. On the first day of testing, 660 samples are targeted.
Macaya explained that a work team will be itinerant due to distance and difficulty of access to some of the communities, in such a way that this team will travel to the most distant areas.
The CCSS president commented that in each family, only one asymptomatic person will be sampled. If a person with symptoms is identified, their sample will also be taken. For this, the primary care technical assistants (ATAP) will go to each randomly selected house to communicate to the family and identify a person. If they do not open the door, they will continue with the house adjacent.
Dr. Macaya clarified that those symptomatic people who are not within the 23 selected areas are requested to appear with a mask at the headquarters of the Alajuelita health area so that they are cared for in the respiratory area.
Macaya added that the Alajuelita testing is targeted, while the Pavas testing the week before last was random.
(QCOSTARICA) The number of deaths increased today, Monday, July 6, 4 months after the first case of COVID-19 in Costa Rica, to 23, with the three deaths recorded today.
The patient is a 92-year-old woman, Costa Rican, a resident of San Jose.
The woman was admitted to the Hospital Calderon Guardia and diagnose with COVID-19 on July 5.
The deceased had chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and had a history of stroke.
The death is in addition to the 22 regrettable deaths already recorded: nine women and 13 men with an age range of 26 to 89 years.
(QCOSTARICA) The Ministry of Health confirmed this Monday morning death number 22 by COVID-19.
This is another post-mortem COVID-19 death, that of a 51-year-old man, Costa Rica, a resident of Cartago, who died on July 2.
The sample was taken in the OIJ morgue. The presumptive diagnoses include severe acute respiratory infection, pneumonia/bronchopneumonia.
There is no detail of risk factors or date of onset of symptoms.
According to a police report, he died in his home.
This is the second death reported this Monday, July 6. Earlier this morning, the Ministry of Health confirmed the death of an 81-year-old man, a resident of La Cruz, Guanacaste. The death occurred in the Ceaco, the specialized coronavirus health center.
Sunday night, death number 19 was recorded, a 43-year-old man, a foreigner, resident of Alajuela, diagnosed with COVID-19 on June 13.
(QCOSTARICA) Epidemiologist Guiselle Guzmán warned that it is necessary to pass all four phases of a pandemic for COVID-19 to become a seasonal coronavirus and that there is no going back when community contagion is reached.
Epidemiologist Guiselle Guzmán
“There is no going back … There is a community transmission and there is no going back,” Guzmán said this morning during CRHoy.com’s Enfoques program.
The expert indicated that even though community transmission started, it may happen that it does not spread throughout the country.
“For example, it happens in Costa Rica, where there are three cantons that have no cases. And it may happen that in the same country, in different places, it may be in different phases,” she added.
In addition, the epidemiologist assured that despite community transmission, the follow-up of the contacts will continue.
“In this way, these links can be identified and traced to see where the virus is moving and to identify the vulnerable population in the country,” she concluded.
Community transmission is when there is no clear source of origin of the infection in a new community. It happens when you can no longer identify who became infected after being exposed to someone who interacted with people from the originally infected communities.
The Minister of Health, Daniel Salas, last week acknowledged that there is community transmission in the Greater Metropolitan Area (GAM), in particular in areas like Pavas, the large number of cases exceeding the ability of Health officials to follow-up contacts and dictate health orders for those people suspected of having the virus.
“This declaration arises because the number of cases has been increasing in a very important way in recent days and that leads to a material impossibility of following them up (…) the acceleration of cases exceeds the ability to carry out investigations in a timely manner,” said Salas.
Who is at risk?
COVID-19 can affect people of all ages. Recent data shows that older people are, the higher their risk of severe illness from COVID-19.
Age is an independent risk factor for severe illness, but the risk in older adults is also in part related to the increased likelihood that older adults also have underlying medical conditions.
At more risk are the obese, people with chronic diseases such as asthma, high blood pressure, heart disease, diabetes, lung disease, being treated for cancer, neurologic conditions such as dementia, cerebrovascular disease such as stroke, or who are pregnant.
Other risk factors include race/ethnicity, use of certain medications, poverty and crowding, and certain occupations.
UPDATE: On February 18, 2021, I got a notice from the AyA reducing my bill to ¢7,694 colones for the May 2020 billing period. Read the story here.
Rico’s DIGEST – In May I wrote about my outrageous water bill, a whopping ¢34,000 colones when my average monthly usage/billing for the 12 months prior has ranged from ¢5,400 to ¢9,800.
Screenshot of my payment history from the AyA website
The above numbers come directly from the AyA website, which noted a reduction (payment by AyA to the account) of ¢5,060 on May 5, reducing my bill to ¢29,046.
This was prior to the announcement by the utility in mid-June, after a public outcry of overbilling, that it had made an error in the May billing, and starting June 23 the May billing was to be adjusted.
I waited. I had faith.
However, as the June bill arrived, the May bill still showed the 29K balance. I waited. Nothing. I waited some more. Nothing.
Today, Monday, July 6, I decided the wait was over and would call.
After spending more than 15 minutes waiting for an agent to connect, I find out what I already knew: yes, there had been a reduction and that was what I owed.
What happened to the automatic reduction, was it all Tico bull? What happened to the email I got in the last week about my account being automatically adjusted?
To the first, all I could get is that the account will be noted and a review will be made, but no guarantee that a further reduction would be made. The automatic reduction was not going to be applied, at least not from what the agent I spoke to knew.
To the second, the email went out to all AyA customers. That made me feel special.
In such cases, arguing with an agent is futile. This I know well. The best one can get in such cases is wait for the decision, in the meantime not pay the bill, and life goes on.
However, to pay the June bill it cannot be done online, I will have to go to a ‘third-party” payment option, such as a supermarket, etc. So much for staying at home.
My thoughts went to how many are in the same situation and how are they dealing with it. Please send me your comments to rico@theqemedia.com or Whatsapp at 8399 9642 or to Facebook.
For any billing query or request to adjust the current bill, you can contact the AyA by way of the 800 REPORTE phone line (800 737 6783), email to linea800@aya.go.cr, WhatsApp: 8376 5103, website www.aya.go.cr or visit the local AyA office to where the meter is located.
(QCOSTARICA) The Ministry of Health, this Monday morning, July 6, confirmed death number 21 in the country, by COVID-19.
The deceased was an 81-year-old man, a foreigner, who resided in La Cruz, Guanacaste. He had been in the Specialized Patient Care Center with COVID-19 (Ceaco) since June 30. He was diagnosed with COVID-19 on June 28.
The deceased suffered from diabetes, high blood pressure, anemia and had a history of squamous cell carcinoma, all risk factors for COVID-19.
Precisely today it 4 months since the first positive case of COVID-19 was reported in the country on March 6, an American woman who traveled to our country with her husband from New York.
Up to Friday, June 26, Costa Rica had reported 15 death; from a day later, Saturday, June 27, to this morning, there have been 9 deaths.
As of Sunday, July 5, the last report by the Ministry of Health, the accumulated of COVID-19 cases reached 4,966, 40% of which were registered in the past week alone.
(QCOSTARICA) COVID-19 patients over 40 years of age spend on average up to 11 days hospitalized in Costa Rica’s medical centers.
The president of the Costa Rican Social Security Fund (CCSS), Román Macaya, warned of the situation and asked that people follow strict protocols to avoid further contagion and even the collapse of the health system.
A statistical analysis of the CCSS shows how groups of people between 41 and 64 years of age, as well as those over 65 years of age, are hospitalized for a longer period.
“Older people have a longer hospital stay. Being a senior is a very important risk factor. It is the most correlated with a complication, but it is not the only cause of prolonged hospitalization. The 41 to 64-year-old is also with longer hospitalization is because they are hypertensive, diabetic, obese, smoking, or cancer patients who have other risk factors, diseases occur more and more in younger people,” said Macaya.
The figures detail that minors (under 18), on average spend 3 days hospitalized. Subsequently, the group of 19 years to 41 years of age are in hospital on average for 7.5 days.
As of July 5, the Ministry of Health reported at the noon presser, 77 hospitalized patients, of which 10 remain in intensive care. That figure did not take account death number of 20 Sunday night, a 43-year-old man with 20 days in the ICU.
Health authorities expect that the number of people hospitalized will increase in the coming days, with the growth of positive cases: 375 on Sunday and 310 on Saturday and just below 300 for 3 consecutive days prior.
In total, in the last week – Sunday, June 28 to Sunday, July 5 – the total number of COVID-19 confirmed cases have been 2,017 of the total 4,996 accumulated in the four months today of the pandemic.
Macaya called on the population to follow the measures – wearing a mask, frequent hand washing and social distancing – to avoid exposing themselves to the virus.
(HQ) The Instituto Costarricense de Acueductos y Alcantarillados (AyA) announced the end of the rationing of the drinking water service in the Greater Metropolitan Area starting Monday.
The consolidation of the rainy season and the decrease in demand by users will allow continuous service, according to the statement.
Added to this is the opening of five new emergency wells. These have a capacity equivalent to the consumption of 320 liters per second.
In the last week, 34,000 people from three cantons were affected by water rationing.
The institution took the opportunity to remember that unpredictable interruptions in service can always occur, due to large leaks, obstructions of capacity in rivers and even shortages due to high consumption in some sectors. In those cases, it would be reported through official channels.
(HQ) A man was sentenced by the Alajuela criminal court to 7 years in prison for trying to travel to Bolivia, with US$226,000 in cash.
The man, identified by his last name Molina, was convicted for money laundering. The court document detailed that the man contacted people linked to drug trafficking and apparently gave him the cash to be transported to the South American country.
“Apparently, Molina distributed the money in a suitcase with a double lining that he made with a thick plastic sheet, attached with contact glue, velcro, and screws,” said the Judiciary.
The accused was detained by the Drug Control Police at Juan Santamaría International Airport, when, apparently, he tried to leave the country on a flight to Bolivia, with a stopover in Panama.
(QCOSTARICA) The Municipality of San José will be closed this Monday as part of the sanitary order issued by the Ministry of Health, after the confirmation of positive cases of COVID-19 at its facilities.
This was communicated by the institution that specified that the José Figueres Ferrer municipal building will remain completely closed to the public on July 6.
“The Ministry of Health must verify until Monday the disinfection work of the Figueres Ferrer building and other offices that have a sanitary order. This is a mandatory requirement to reopen employees and the general public,” said San José Mayor Johnny Araya.
The local government clarified that essential garbage collection, street cleaning and security services will be provided as normal.
The event occurred at 6:48 pm when five officials from the health area of La Cruz carried out the test for the new coronavirus on a trucker and several national and resident passers-by.
“Older people have a longer hospital stay. Being a senior is a very important risk factor. It is the most correlated with a complication, but it is not the only cause of prolonged hospitalization. The 41 to 64-year-old is also with longer hospitalization is because they are hypertensive, diabetic, obese, smoking, or cancer patients who have other risk factors, diseases occur more and more in younger people,” said Macaya.
The man, identified by his last name Molina, was convicted for money laundering. The court document detailed that the man contacted people linked to drug trafficking and apparently gave him the cash to be transported to the South American country.
This was communicated by the institution that specified that the José Figueres Ferrer municipal building will remain completely closed to the public on July 6.