The Tico, wanted for murder is now in the custody of the OIJ
A Costa Rica man, identified by his last name Jimenez, was detained by the Immigration Police when he was trying to leave the country, despite being suspected of murder.
The Tico, wanted for murder is now in the custody of the OIJ
The man was arrested on Monday at the Juan Santamaría airport when he tried to board a plane as if nothing, but authorities consulted the OIJ criminal database system and learned of the arrest warrant, reported La Teja.
Up north, in the immigration offices of Los Chiles de Alajuela, at the border crossing with Nicaragua, a foreigner with the last name Briceño, also was arrested on an outstanding warrant dating back to 2016
The Centro Nacional de Rehabilitación (Cenare), located in La Uruca, today became the Centro Especializado de Atención de Pacientes con COVID-19 (CEACO), readied in a record 11 days.
The following are some of the faces that made it all happen.
Though it is still weeks away from the start of the “green” season, many parts of the Central Valley, Central and South Pacific got a reminder of that with thunder and rain this Tuesday afternoon.
The national weather service prepared a map of the areas affected.
The beginning of the rainy or green season typically starts taking effect over the country around the 15th of May and continues into the middle of November.
#IMN_imagenes (3:40 pm) Bucle animado de la última hora. Continúa desarrollándose fuerte tormenta en el Pacífico Central y Sur además del oeste del Valle Central. pic.twitter.com/iV2vJ9crhl
The Centro Nacional de Rehabilitación (Cenare), located in La Uruca, refitted to become a hospital exclusively for covid-19 patients is ready. And in record time.
President Carlos Alvarado, during the Tuesday afternoon covid-19 briefing, gave the television audience a tour of new medical center, that will now be called Centro Especializado de Atención de Pacientes con COVID-19 (CEACO) – Specialized Patient Care Center with COVID-19 – that was readied in a record 11 days.
Mario Ruiz, medical manager of the Caja Costarricense de Seguro Social (CCSS), along with CCSS president Roman Macaya, accompanied Alvarado, explaining some of the changes and the ‘inter-institutional effort” that went into making the 88-bed hospital possible in this time of crisis.
For now, the CEACO will operate at half capacity.
According to Ruiz, the other 44 beds for covid-19 patients who require hospitalization in intermediate care will be enabled by the end of the week.
The hospital is equipped with monitors, telemedicine screens that allow medical staff to attend to patients with the minimum risk of contagion, and respirators for assisted breathing, as well as X-ray equipment that allows images to be sent for analysis remotely to specialists.
In total, the hospital has 48 lung ventilators, two video laryngoscopes, portable X-ray machines, 88 secretion aspirators, 88 transport carts, 22 infrared non-contact thermometers, plasma autoclave equipment for the sterilization of medical equipment, and equipment for patient mobilization, among others.
In addition, capsules to transport patients from anywhere in the country, in a fully contained environment was detailed Macaya, who said he hopes to never have to see one from the inside.
The bright orange capsules allow patients to be transported safely without fear of infecting the medical staff and the general public while in transit.
“This facility is already in operation today, it has been put into operation,” said Alvarado.
For his part, the Minister of Health, Dr. Daniel Salas, informed that the number of confirmed for covid-19 is now 347, 17 more than the day before.
Of the confirmed, 167 are women and 180 women, of which 320 are Costa Ricans and 27 foreigners. Four people have so far recovered and the deaths remain at 2.
Salas also confirmed that legislators are expected to pass on Wednesday morning the two bills presented Monday by the Executive Branch, setting out sanctions for people who violate the night vehicular restrictions and the mandatory quarantine as ordered by Health authorities.
With respect to the Health order violation, the bill calls for a fine from one to 5 base salaries, currently from ¢450,000 to ¢2,200,000 colones and possible criminal charges.
The fines for offending drivers will be ¢107,000 colones for each violation. A number of legislators requested an amendment to the bill, to authorize Transito (traffic) officials to also confiscate the vehicle and/or license plate and record points on the driver’s license of the offending driver.
On Monday, March 30, The Ministery of Transport (MOPT) inaugurated the new overpass of the Garantia Sociales (Zapote) rotonda, with the aim of reducing congestions on the Circunvalacaion.
The inauguration took place early Monday morning, at 7:00 am and due to the covid-19 crisis, the ceremony was somewhat different, both President Carlos Alvarado and Transport Minister Rodolfo Mendez, were not physically present at the side, the inauguration made through a virtual transmission from Casal Presidencial, which in this case was literally a little more than 500 meters from the rotonda.
The viaduct is 6 lanes, 3 in each direction, moving traffic between Desamparados and San Predo, while a rotonda overhead moves traffic to and from Zapote and San Jose.
Missing, for now, is the traditional sculpture that had to be moved to allow for the construction of the viaduct. The sculpture is expected back in its place within 8 months.
This viaduct is the first completed of a group of works that include level crossings at the Guadalupe and Bandera rotondas, and the completion of the north part of the ring road that will move traffic from Tibas to La Uruca.
Another project in the stage of design is the elimination of the traffic lights in the Hatillos sector, so that they do not interfere with the flow of traffic, currently major source of congestion in both directions.
The cross-border bus operator Tica Bus has its only daily stopped at the Peñas Blancas border by Nicaragua immigration officials.
The company said only Nicaraguans would be allowed to enter on its service today, March 31, as a measure in the face of the Covid-19 pandemic.
For illustrative purposes
According to the transport company, the Nicaraguan government told them “that nobody could enter, nor could anyone leave” this Tuesday at the Peñas Blancas border. “The Nicaraguan government has put an exit restriction on people through the Peñas Blancas border, this indefinitely,” the statement released Monday by the company read, and was later withdrawn on its social networks.
The Q contacted Tica Bus.
The agent we spoke to told us there will service on Wednesday, April 1, at 7:30 am to Managua, but only Nicaraguans can travel. “After tomorrow, it is on a day-by-day basis, depends at the border,” said Marconi.
The Q also spoke to TransNica, which also offers daily transborder service between San Jose and Managua.
At TransNica business is as usual. The agent we spoke to said they have no issues with their buses at the border crossing and all – not just Nicaraguans – can travel on their service, which is now down to one daily, leaving San Jose at 7:00 am.
On March 18, Costa Rican closed its borders – land, air and sea – allowing entry only to Costa Rican nationals and legal residents, who must submit to a mandatory 14-day quarantine on return.
On Monday, March 23, President Carlos Alvarado, as a measure to stop the traditional massive exodus of Nicaraguans headed for the homeland for the Semana Santa (Easter Week) holidays, said, aimed at Nicaraguans in Costa Rica, foreign residents who leave Costa Rica during the national emergency would lose their residency status, thus not be able to return.
On March 25, the Nicaragua government deployed its army to closed the “blind spots” along its border with Costa Rica.
Colonel Álvaro Rivas, an Army spokesman, explained that the army’s function is to stop illegal crossings, that all legal crossings would continue at the authorized posts of Peñas Blancas and Las Tablillas.
“We will be rigorous and strictly comply with the missions that derive from the laws that bind us. We have reinforced with troops the border units of the 4th Regional Military Command that comprises the department of Rivas, the Southern Military Detachment that comprises the department of Río San Juan, with the Naval Force we increased to the south on the border of the Pacific Ocean and the Caribbean Sea and with the Naval Detachment of Internal Waters, the southern part of Lake Cocibolca, to increase patrolling and not allow irregular migrants to enter,” the Army spokesperson said to La Prensa, Nicaragua’s main newspaper.
The notice Tica Bus posted on social networks Monday afternoon and then withdrwe
The Tica Bus notice, dated March 30 at 3:00 pm, detailed:
“During these days we were offering our service to a minimum in tourist class from Nicaragua to Costa Rica and from Costa Rica to Nicaragua. However, today (March 30) the Nicaraguan government has placed an exit restriction on people through the Peñas Blancas border, this indefinitely.
In compliance with the provisions of the governments of all the countries we travel to, we inform you that starting tomorrow and until further notice, our highway operations will be suspended”.
The Q did not get a reply from Nica Bus and Central Line, who also operate daily service between San Jose and Managua.
This situation occurs in the midst of the health crisis caused by COVID-19. It is unknown whether the restrictive measure would apply to the transit of goods.
For several weeks, preventive measures have been taken for the well-being of the population deprived of liberty.
In Costa Rica, not paying alimony (pensión alimentaria in Spanish) will land you in jail. Literally.
With the covid-19 crisis, the Ministerio de Justicia y Paz, that runs the penitentiary system, on Monday sent an official letter to the vice president of the Supreme Court of Justice, Patricia Solano, in her role as coordinator of Criminal Affairs, so that magistrates agree to the suspension of orders of those who owe alimony.
Outside the La Reforma prison in Alajuela
According to Justice Minister Fiorella Salazar, the complex situation that the country is experiencing as a result of the COVID-19 outbreak generates twice the risk for the incarcerated, so there must be a decrease in the flow of prisoners within the prison system.
“(…) It is foreseeable that the national and global economic crisis will bring with it the non-fulfillment of alimony, and, therefore, an increase in the orders of corporal pressure. Particularly, the accelerated growth of income in the last days has been reported to my office to the Unidad de Apremiados Corporales. Already in the official letter No. DHR-DIND-0173-2020 Mrs. Catalina Crespo Sancho, Ombudswoman informs us of this situation and requests the adoption of urgent measures. It is requested to assess the suspension of the orders of corporal restraint, and instead, try to promote inter-institutional assistance in favor of the food creditor, or the use of electronic monitoring mechanisms,” the document states.
Daily between 400 and 500 people enter penitentiaries in the country, some sentenced and others indicted, and of them there are a significant number of men who do so after receiving an incarceration order for not paying alimony, generating overcrowding.
Preventive measures have been taken for the well-being of inmates
Another concern for the Minister of Justice is the increase in violence, which according to the reports from the Penitentiary Police, indicates that those inside believe incoming prisoners to be infected with coronaviruses and come under attack.
“Unfortunately, the behavior of some inmates is of rejection of any new person, due to the fear that this person is a carrier of the COVID-19 virus, to the point of threatening physical aggression,” said Fiorella Salazar.
For several weeks, Justice has taken preventive measures, such as, for example, the suspension of the visitation for prisoners, both regular and conjugal.
In addition, the receiving of packages (food and other supplies) for inmates from the outside has been modified because there was an agglomeration of people in the waiting lines outside the prisons.
The different associations of drivers of transport apps have joined in a single voice, in order to attract the Government’s attention, to include them in the Plan Proteger (Plan Protect), given they the critical situation that the drivers are going through, in their status of informal workers, leaves them at a disadvantage, caused by COVID-19.
The drivers are grouped in several assocations, the Asociación Privada de Movilidad Tecnológica (Aprimotec), Asociación Brumosa de Conductores (Asobruco), Canacontec, Acoplatec and the Red Nacional de Emergencias de Movilidad Tecnológica.
They also report that income has dropped by up to 90% as a result of the self-isolation and quarantine. “This is why today, the voice of this union rises to request to be benefited through the subsidy announced by the Government and the high exposure of drivers by surrounding themselves with many people.
According to the various groups, there are 25,000 drivers registered with the various apps, and despite the fact that they do not know if 100% are dedicated to full-time driving, what they do know is that a high percentage depends on the driving.
For them, the countrywide night vehicular restriction (from 10 pm to 5 am weekdays and 8 pm to 5 am on weekends), has impacted them directly, as well as the call from the government to “teletrabajo” (work from home) caused the demand to drop.
“Drivers want to be part of this campaign to stay home, however, where are they going to get the income they need for their day by day living,” added the asociation.
The different associated groups emphasize that the driving partners also have a “high degree of probability of becoming ill and can become potential sources of contagion”.
She disappeared on March 4. The last piece of information her family has that, on her way home that afternoon, she felt as she was being followed. The trail has gone cold, but her family has been keeping the search alive.
Allison Pamela Bonilla Vásquez, 18, went missing on March 4 and has not been seen or heard of since
On Sunday there was hope in the disappearance of 18-year-old Allison Pamela Bonilla Vásquez. A neighbor from Ujarrás de Paraíso, Cartago, was being investigated, his house raided by the Cartago Deputy Prosecutor’s Office.
The man, 28, has been identified by his surname Sánchez Ureña.
In a statement, the Public Ministry. explained, “Sánchez is investigated in the open case for the disappearance of Allison Bonilla. The operation was intended to locate some evidence that would allow the whereabouts of the young woman to be determined; however, since the case is in a stage that is private, in accordance with article 295 of the Code of Criminal Procedure, it is not possible to provide any other details”.
For its part, the Organismo de Investigación Judicial (OIJ) reported that during the raid that was carried out after receiving confidential information, no “important or relevant” evidence was found for the case.
Yendry Johanna Vásquez Cordero, Allison’s mother, ruled out that Sánchez participated at some point in the search for her daughter.
In the first days following Allison’s disappearance, there were constant searches of the area where she was last seen. The searches have only come up with her prescription glasses and a video message to her boyfriend, Harold Segura Solano, that two “pintiticas” (creepy person) were chasing her.
The OIJ, weeks ago, stated that they cannot assure if she is alive or dead. Nor do they know of the motive for the disappearance.
In the video, Allison is seen walking fast towards her home. However, in the excerpt of the video that was circulated publicly, no one is seen behind her.
On March 12, in an interview with La Nación, Segura said he regretted not having insisted Bonilla take a taxi home. That night, she went to his house after classes at Cachí night school were canceled.
According to the OIJ, the girl was wearing blue jeans, a white shirt with mustard and white sneakers.
In case of any information about Allison’s whereabouts, contact the OIJ’s Confidential Information Center through the number 800-8000-645 or WhatsApp 8800-0645.
This originally appeared on Quora written by Michael Laitman.
Aside from the ecological benefits that the stay-at-home orders spanning the world’s continents have brought about, such as significant drops in pollution and carbon dioxide emissions, another major positive impact is that the COVID-19 crisis put spokes in the wheels of our over-inflating egoistic, exploitative and manipulative interactions, heated social division and tense international relations, which were leading to a world war.
Also, while ordered to stay at home, we are now given time to calm down from our usual rat race, reconsider what is most important in life, and learn a deeper perspective of how nature works in order to exit this crisis into a better state.
Essentially, if we use this period we are now in to upgrade our awareness of ourselves as parts of a single interconnected and interdependent system of nature, it would result in an immense positive impact, both for ourselves and for nature in general.
The COVID-19 crisis is a prime example of how nature’s interconnectedness and interdependence is becoming increasingly revealed among us humans, as it forces us all into a common global problem.
We would thus be wise to learn from nature, to adapt our human thoughts, attitudes and relationships to the integral way in which nature operates.
If we fail to use this period in order to upgrade the quality of our connections, then we can expect nature to respond with further blows, whether an intensification of the current pandemic, or other natural disasters.
The principle is that according to nature’s interconnected and interdependent form, we, as the human level within nature, have to assume the same form in our attitudes and relationships to each other, in order to experience a harmonious and peaceful existence.
We have the free choice to make this leap, since our egoistic human nature that involuntarily prioritizes personal benefit over benefiting others sets us up in opposition to nature’s consideration of the whole.
Our selfish makeup is what led us to create a society functioning by each one trying to profit off of everyone else. However, as we see with the onset of the coronavirus pandemic and other crises in our world, such egoistic development has reached a limit.
Nature is now trying to wake us up to our need to make a further step in our development: to exercise positive, supportive, encouraging and considerate relationships in a place where we by default relate negatively to each other.
Yet, as much as nature leads the horse to water by giving us this global shock, it still cannot make the horse drink. We will still have to make that leap from negative-egoistic relations to positive and mutually considerate ones by applying our own free choice.
This becomes possible if we study how nature functions as a complete integral system, and how each of us together need to act similarly in order to reach and maintain balance in the system.
Essentially, we need to reach a state where we care about others to the same extent as we care about ourselves.
If we thus use the time when we are bound to our homes in order to upgrade our awareness of nature’s unifying principle, and implement it in our relationships, we will then see far-reaching positive impacts of the COVID-19 crisis—a shift into a completely new and harmonious state among humanity the likes of which we have never experienced before.
On Monday, the Ministry of Health sent to the Legislative Assembly an initiative to toughen economic sanctions for those who fail to comply with special orders or measures, such as quarantines.
Image for illustrative purposes
The document, “Reforma al artículo 378 y adición de un artículo 378 bis a la Ley N°5395 del 30 de octubre de 1973, Ley General de Salud”, signed by President Carlos Alvarado and the Minister of Health, Daniel Salas, seeks a maximum sanction of ¢2,251,000, equivalent to 5 base salaries for those who fail to comply with health measures in case of contagious disease in the country.
The reform established the following sanctions:
a) To the person with risk factors for a serious illness due to a contagious disease that is the object of an isolation order, a fixed fine of one (1) base salary. An amount equivalent to ¢450,200 (US$781*).
b) A person suspected of a contagious disease, or one who, even without presenting obvious symptoms or signs of said disease, is the subject of an isolation order because of close contact with a causative agent of the disease, a fixed fine of three (3) base wages. An amount equivalent to ¢1,350,600 (US$2,344*).
c) To the person who, medically or clinically, has been diagnosed with a contagious disease, a fixed fine of five (5) base salaries. An amount equivalent to ¢2,251,000 (US$3,907*).
The addition to article 378 bis establishes that:
The sanctions established in article 378 of this law will be applied by the health authority. For such effects, the offender must be notified by means of a health report, granting them a period of twenty working days to proceed with the payment of the fine. An appeal may be filed against the health report before the Minister of Health, within three business days of notification thereof. The appeal must be processed within a maximum period of three business days and the resolution must be notified through the electronic means that are enabled for such purposes. The signature of the offender will be proof of the notification of the health report. If the offender is unable or refuses to sign the health report, the health authority will leave a written record of said situation in the report and the act will be considered notified.
In the event that the fine is not paid within the established period, the amount will be sent to judicial collection, lose a business license (if applicable) or the amount, plus costs and interest, noted on the person’s driver’s license.
The document also indicates that the Ministry of Health must inform the Office of the Attorney General of the non-compliance with the sanitary measures imposed by the competent authority, in order to determine if the act constitutes a crime.
Base Salary. Costa Rica when establishing a fine it used the ‘Salario Base’ (Base Salary), an amount set by the Superior Council of the Judiciary, since it is the monthly base salary of the clerk one of that institution, according to Law 7337 of May 5, 1993. See here the historical list of Salarios Base from 1996 to 2020.
* The rate of ¢576 colones per one US dollar was used for the conversion in this article.
The Health measures to stop the spread of the new coronavirus is also impacting the finances of churches in Costa Rica.
Iglesia de San Rafael
As has happened in hundreds of companies, also in some parishes there have been cuts in the working hours of priests and other staff, in an attempt to cope with the significant drop in income.
The closing of the churches and the suspension of the masses with the presence of people also means no collections (donations in the collection baskets), that used to pay the salaries of priests, staff and other operating expenses of the parishes.
Priest Mauricio Granados, spokesman for the Episcopal Conference, acknowledged that “many parishes” face liquidity problems in the absence of ‘collections’.
“The situation of the vast majority of parishes is difficult, since the means of financing is mainly through collections, there are few parishes that have another source of income.”
Monsignor José Rafael Quirós, archbishop of San José, issued a circular to all priests (and other staff) on Tuesday, to accept the reduction in hours.
The priests’ salary, called subsidy, is ¢300,000 per month in the archdiocese of San José. However, that amount may vary in each diocese.
Some churches, like the Mercedes Norte de Heredia, are using social networks to collect funds to pay for things like keeping the lights on, water, staff, etc.
The Episcopal Conference of Costa Rica affirmed that to face this financial contingency, they will not be looking for a government bailout.
The Unión Médica Nacional (National Medical Union) threatens to legally denounce the Ministry of Health for not paying overtime to officials with salaries equal to or greater than ¢4 million per month, to support emergency care for the new coronavirus.
In a message to its members, the union informed that it will proceed to “collect by legal means, and as established by the Labor Procedural Reform, all the extraordinary time worked to date and that has not been duly paid.”
The doctors union asked those who are under these conditions “not to do any more extra time from now on,” in a message that began to circulate on social networks on Friday, March 27.
According to the Ministry of Health, a total of 2,290 workers work in its different departments. Of these, 49 have wages equal to or greater than ¢4 million a month.
Director of Health, Priscilla Herrera, clarified in the document that “it is necessary to mobilize the outstanding professional personnel in the Health Guiding Areas, the Regional Directorates and at the central level for the execution of different actions that entail the attention” of the emergency.
Costa Rica maintains the yellow alert for covid-19 and the national state of emergency for the pandemic caused by this respiratory disease.
In addition to insisting the population on the need to stay at home and comply with basic hygiene measures to cut the chains of transmission of the new coronavirus, the State has ordered mitigation measures to prevent the collapse of health systems that countries such as Spain, Italy and the United States have suffered.
These measures include, among others, the closing of schools, the closing of borders to foreigners who do not have residency status, mandatory quarantine for returning nationals and legal residents, the restriction of vehicles in the evenings and the closing of bars, discos and casinos, among others.
The chain of messages circulating massively on WhatsApp that the Minister of Health, Daniel Salas, resigned amid the covid-19 pandemic of the new coronavirus, is false.
“It is absolutely false”, confirmed the Minister of Communication, Nancy Marín, before the consultation of La Nación.
“The Minister of Health is leaving, he himself told another colleague. About 10 days ago he requested the transfer,” says the false messages.
Salas assumed the post of Minister of Health in November 2018.
The #NoComaCuento project, an initiative of La Nación that seeks to analyze the veracity of the information that circulates on social networks. You can be part of this project by sending information that you think is false or unreliable to WhatsApp 6420-7160 or to the email nocomacount@nacion.com.
Monday's covid-19 briefing from the Ministerio de Salud
In the daily briefing this Monday afternoon, the Minister of Health, Daniel Salas, provided the latest numbers with respect to the coronavirus covid-19 in Costa Rica: there are 330 confirmed cases, 16 more than the day before, four recoveries and the deaths remain at 2.
Monday’s covid-19 briefing from the Ministerio de Salud
The ages of the sick range from 1 to 87. There are 160 women and 170 men, of which 303 Costa Ricans and 27 foreigners, in 52 of the 82 cantons in the country.
The majority are between 18 and 64, 24 are 65 and over and 13 are minors.
As of Monday, 15 of the sick remain hospitalized, 7 of them in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU), with ages from 36 to 69.
Some of them have been in ICU for more than two weeks.
Every day, 600 tests are carried out and the number has been expanding. “Each suspected case is handled as confirmed and this involves the period of isolation and the listing of people in direct contact and the moment samples are taken, samples are taken,” he explained.
The value of the samples range from $12 to $35, each.
Salas acknowledged that there is a percentage of people may not have visible symptoms, but they may be infecting others, however, he said, it is a reduced percentage.
“The ability to infect occurs especially when there are symptoms, but transmission by people without symptoms can occur,” he added.
People are staying home
Minister Salas once again reminded the population on the need to stay home, to go out only if necessary, ie the supermarket, pharmacy of an emergency.
For the period between 8 pm Sunday and 5 am Monday, 331 drivers were fined for violating the vehicular restrictions, with a total of 434 tickets issued: 331 for the restriction violation and additional traffic law infractions, including 18 drunk drivers.
“We have called on the entire population to unite so that we are cautious, that we do not act irresponsibly with ourselves and with others, but there is still non-compliance.
“We all know by now not to drive while intoxicated, and yet there are people who continue to do so at this time. The call is for us to have an attitude of humility, solidarity, empathy (…) this humility, this tolerance has to develop because we are under the call to stay at home,” said Salas.
“We know that we will not peak in two weeks, that is clear…we are not close, several weeks more to the highest part, then comes the descent that is also important to monitor, because the majority of the population is susceptible, the possibility of getting sick is latent,” he warned.
By the numbers in the Americas, perhaps, the best place to be during the covid-19 pandemic is in Latin America.
Image from United World International
Using the numbers from the United Nations official population and Worldometer and John Hopkins University on the Coronavirus COVID-19 cases, in Latin America, the countries of the Americas that were once part of the Spanish or Portuguese languages prevail: Mexico, most of Central and South America, and in the Caribbean, Cuba, the Dominican Republic, has fewer confirmed covid-19cases and deaths.
With a clear focus on defending employment and freeing up money so that companies and individuals have a “cash flow” in the coming days, dulled by the uncertainty caused by the coronavirus in the economy, the Government has so far added 20 actions aimed at giving it a push.
Without questioning whether the measures are effective or not, the Q, in conjunction with El Financiero, offers a summary of the changes and new options.
These actions seek to mitigate the impact of COVID-19 on the different economic activities of the country and add to the restrictions and prohibitions on social isolation that aim to reduce the growth rate of infections so as not to compromise the capacity of the health system.
About 12,000 commercial and industrial clients of the Instituto Costarricense de Electricidad (ICE) – State power company – will pay half of the consumption during March, April and May, the remaining 50% will be paid in equal installments between July and December of this year. Does not apply to residential clients.
The Empresa de Servicios Públicos de Heredia (ESPH) is waiting for negotiations with ICE to define how this benefit will be applied to its customers.
The Instituto Costarricense de Acueductos y Alcantarillados (AyA) – State water and sewer utility – and all other providers of the drinking water service will not apply suspensions or cuts in service for the next 60 days, with the possibility of extending the measure if necessary.
It applies to all residential, preferential and commercial clients regardless of whether they are in default or in non-payment.
Impuesto al Valor Agregado (IVA) – Value Added Tax (VAT) – the payment of this tax will be postponed for three months (April, May and June), but the amount of those months must be re-paid before December 31, 2020. Consumers will continue paying the VAT on the final prices of the goods and services they buy in those periods.
For practical purposes, the partial payment of March 2020 was canceled and applies only to two groups of taxpayers: Those whose tax period expired on the last day of October, November or December 2019; To whom the fiscal period expired on the last day of July, August or September 2019.
Selectivo de consumo: this tax is applied to products such as imported beers, grapes, spirits, tobacco and other products of a different nature. Like VAT, payment will be deferred from April, May and June and will be payable before December 31 of this year.
Import tariffs: a moratorium will be applied when importing products for companies registered as taxpayers in the Single Tax Registry of the General Directorate of Taxation (DGT). Applies for the nationalization of merchandise that runs in April, May and June.
75% reduction in the Minimum Tax Base (BMC) for three months. The BMC for health insurance will drop from ¢294,619 to ¢73,654 while the BMC for pension insurance went from ¢275,759 to ¢68,639. It will have an impact on the invoicing of employer payrolls, contributions of independent workers and public employees.
Allow payment of fees per day actually worked.
Make deferred payments of fees.
Set differentiated quotas for independent workers to avoid double collection from employer and employee.
Make adjustments to repayment agreements more flexible so that those who use this figure do not fall behind.
Reduce interest rates for payment agreements until August 31.
Postpone collection efforts to employers and independent workers until June 30 of this year. The institution will not close the business due to late payment.
Creation of a preferential rate (reduction in the rate) for occupational risk insurance held by companies with less than 30 employees.
Travel insurance so that foreigners who get COVID-19 are treated within the country.
Definition of accidents due to work risks to include the coronavirus with the aim of not affecting companies individually and to be able to charge the expenses of this disease throughout the line of this type of insurance.
Reduction of working hours by up to 50%, allows companies that report a 20% year-on-year drop in their gross income to execute reductions in the working hours of their employees to preserve jobs. It can be applied during April, May and June, but with the possibility of extending it for three more months.
The working hours and wages of workers may also be reduced by up to 75% if their contraction in gross earnings is 60% or more compared to the results of a year earlier.
Streamlining the processes of temporary suspension of employment contracts so that companies that report reductions of at least 20% in the year-on-year comparison can stop their operation and send workers home until the situation improves. This measure does not interrupt the employment relationship, but neither does it imply the payment of wages during the suspension.
All public and private banks in the country will apply the presidential directive to readjust loans to people affected by the economic impact caused by COVID-19.
– Non-payment of next installments of mortgage, pledge, personal and leasing loans, the corresponding amounts will be transferred to the final balance.
– No payment of the next two installments of the minimum payment of credit cards, amounts will be transferred to the final balance.
– Study and adjustment of debts for business clients, SMEs and people affected by the impact of the virus on different economic activities.
A reduction in the Monetary Policy Rate (TPM) applied by the Central Bank of Costa Rica (BCCR).
Anyone who has carried lucrative activities or businesses in the country, between July 1 and December 31, 2019, you must file your income tax (impuesto sobre la renta in Sppnish) declaration for the first partial payment of income tax and pay up, without surcharge or penalty, no later than tomorrow, March 31, 2020.
The new regulations were established in the reforms included in the Public Finance Strengthening Law, effective as of July 2019.
The tax on profits falls on individuals, legal entities (corporations) and collective entities without legal personality, domiciled in Costa Rica, registered as a taxpayer, who carry out lucrative activities from a Costa Rican source.
The filing of the declaration is mandatory even if there was no income for the period.
Please note that the Partial payments of income tax are eliminated (which work as advances of the tax) during the national emergency due to covid-19.
For practical purposes, the partial payment of March 2020 was canceled and applies only to two groups of taxpayers, who will also be subjec to the sactions detailed below:
Those whose tax period expired on the last day of October, November or December 2019;
To whom the fiscal period expired on the last day of July, August or September 2019
Individuals are exposed to ¢225,100 colones (US$390) fine plus the interest for the days in arrears.
For corporations that fail to file, the penalty, however, is much more onerous.: those that file in April will have to pay 50% of the sanction; as of May 1, the penalty ranges from ¢1,350,600 to ¢45,020,000 colones ( US$2,300 to US$78,000 dollars).
In addition, they will be part of a list that will be sent to the National Registry, where they will not be issued certifications of legal status or documents will be inscribed while they are in arrears of the tax and penalties.
Notaries must say in any document they issue, that the person fails to comply with the Income Tax and Final Beneficiaries (RTBF).
The respective form is D-101, available on the Virtual Tax Administration portal on the website of the Ministry of Finance.
Regarding the payment of the tax, it can be done online at the authorized banking entities, or at the branches, just by indicating their ID number.
But, there was a wrinkle with the online payment platform. The El Financiero reports that taxpayers, despite the recommendation to social distancing during the national emergency due to the covid-19, “Technical inconvenience” the Treasure forced taxpayers to go to the banks to make payments when crowds must be avoided.
The situation is due to the fact that the Ministry of Finance did not upload the data of many of the taxpayers (individuals and corporations), which forced them to go to the bank branches to make the payment and with a paper form.
However, the Treasure has a different story, telling El Financiero that, yes, there was a problem but it was resolved and that as of noon on Friday, the system had already generated more than 86% of the payments.
For more information, visit hacienda.go.cr, from the main menu: “Servicios tributarios” (Tax services) and below, in the ATV section, “Información de impuestos” (Tax information).
For tax advice, recommended consult with an accountant and/or tax lawyer.
Cheerleading will have virtual national and international tournaments. Shutterstock / The Republic
Sports has been hit by the coronavirus as all kinds of tournaments in gyms or open venues have been canceled for the moment.
Cheerleading will have virtual national and international tournaments. La Republica
For this reason, the challenge of competing through virtual cheerleading was launched, a modality that arises as an option for athletes from their homes to remain active in the discipline.
The Costa Rica Spirit Virtual Cup directed for cheerleaders in our country and the V-Battle directed for all of Latin America come to the fore as the first official tournaments from this platform.
Both in alliance by World Cheer Co, based in Colombia.
Panama continues its total quarantine for an indefinite period. President Laurentino Cortizo told his nation in a recent broadcast, explaining that the measure is based on evidence previously evaluated by the health team dealing with the pandemic.
Panama president Laurentino Cortizo
The round the clock quarantine exempts 18 groups or industries, among them, the police; emergency officials; personnel from the Ministry of Health, the Social Security Fund, the Fire Department, Sinaproc, Acodeco, Idaan, the Cleaning Authority, Sume-911, the ACP and the media.
The executive decree allows two hours of daily mobility of people, based on the last digit of their identity card or passport, reports Newsroom Panama.
The restriction exempts mobility to purchasing food or medicine and in a medical emergency. Senior citizens and people with disabilities must complete their errands between 11:00 am and 1:00 pm.
On Sunday, March 29, the Cortizo government announced new rules for taxis, buses, and and transporters: Taxis can only provide its service from 5:00 am to 8:00 pm An exception is made for drivers who transport medical personnel, who can work outside the established hours
MiBus introduced a new schedule for the transit of the metro buses from 4:00 am to 12:00 noon.
Drivers of private vehicles were reminded that they can only be on the roads of the country in the two hours assigned, according to the rule of the last digit of the ID, which has been in force since March 25 when the total quarantine began.
As of this Monday morning, March 30, Panama has 989 reported cases of the covid-19 and reported 24 deaths.
A decrease of between 50% and 30% in the electricity distribution rate for more than a million customers, announced the President of the Republic, Laurentino Cortizo Cohen, as a palliative and solidarity measure for Panamanians in the midst of the global crisis in COVID-19 pandemic.
The measure will grant a 50% reduction in the electricity rate to customers who consume from 0 to 300 kWh, which represent about 70%, according to BNAmericas.
While a 30% decrease in the rate will be granted to those who consume from 301 kWh to 1,000 kWh, a measure that will also benefit small and medium-sized companies and achieve aid to about 95% of Panamanians for the period that comprises April 1 to June 30 of this year.
“None of those who are not working will have their electricity cut off,” said the president, while asking those who do have their income to pay their bills. “This is a way of being in solidarity with everyone,” he said.
The World Bank Board of Executive Directors approved a US$156.64 million investment project for Costa Rica to improve the efficiency, effectiveness, and client orientation of the tax and customs administrations and public spending management.
The support, called Hacienda Digital (Fiscal Modernization), aims to modernize and digitalize the Ministry of Finance to make tax and customs services and payments easier, reduce tax evasion, improve budget efficiency and debt management, and transform the Ministry of Finance’s institutional culture to place citizens at the center as clients, reports Devdiscourse.
“Hacienda Digital provides Costa Rica with technical and financial support, under three components –modernization of our tax, customs, and budget administration—as we have an ambitious modernization agenda, which also includes public employment reforms, labor market reforms, simplifying business procedures and harmonizing statistics”, said Rodrigo Chaves, Costa Rica’s Finance Minister.
The project has several components, including improving the quality of budget spending, expenditure management, control of payroll and debt service systems, facilitate revenue collection and reducing tax evasion. The project will support investments in many IT systems, including the interconnectivity and interoperability of government systems.
“Ensuring Costa Rica’s revenues and expenditures are managed as effectively and efficiently as possible will be essential towards allowing the country to use its resources where they are needed most—to reduce poverty. This is particularly relevant now as the country, the region, and the world are facing a global pandemic,” said Oscar Avalle, World Bank Country Manager for Costa Rica.
The investment is financed by the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development, which is a fixed spread loan and has a final maturity of 33.5 years including a grace period of six years.
The United States Embassy in San Jose, through SOUTHCOM’s Humanitarian Assistance Program, on Friday (March 27) made the first of two donations of medical protection equipment to the Costa Rican Social Security Fund (CCSS).
Roman Macaya, president of CCSS and Sharon Day, US Ambassador to Costa Rica
United States Ambassador to Costa Rica Sharon Day said: “I am proud that the United States government can help Costa Rica, especially the brave men and women of Costa Rica’s medical services, as we face this pandemic together world of COVID-19”.
We are with Costa Rica, be it fighting drug trafficking, expanding the learning of the English language or fighting against COVID-19 “.
The medical protective equipment, purchased from local suppliers in Costa Rica, consists of surgical masks, isolation gowns, surgical gloves, goggles, and N-95 medical masks. The equipment is valued at US$75,000.
The donation consists of nine pallets containing: 9,700 isolation gowns and 57,000 sets of surgical gloves.
In the next two weeks, once supplies become available in Costa Rica, the second donation will consist of: 20,700 surgical masks, 4,150 N-95 type masks and 2,250 sets of protective glasses
The United States Embassy, through the Humanitarian Assistance Program, has donated supplies and equipment to various Costa Rican government entities valued at more than US$3 million dollars since 2015.
These donations include an ambulance, a rescue boat, construction work in schools and community centers.
In the latest briefing on the coronavirus covid-19 in Costa Rica, Health authorities reported that the number of people infected increased to 314, on Sunday 19 new cases were reported from the day before.
Roman Macaya (left) president of the CCSS and Rodrigo Marín (right) director of Vigilancia de la Salud at Sunday’s briefing on the covid-19 in Costa Rica
The age ranges from one and 87; 150 are women and 164 men, of which 290 are Costa Ricans and 24 foreigners.
The patients are spread out in 51 of the 82 cantons of the seven provinces. The cantons with the most cases are Alajuela (55), San José (32), Santa Ana (19) and Escazu (17).
Sunday’s briefing was by Román Macaya, executive president of the CCSS, and Rodrigo Marín, director of Health Surveillance of the Ministry of Health.
Among the infected with covid-19 are 302 adults (22 of which are seniors) and 12 minors. So far three have recovered and two have died.
Likewise, 13 people are hospitalized, six of them in intensive care.
Both Macaya and Marin stressed of the importance of staying home, reminding that stiffer fines for violating the vehicular restrictions and Health quarantine order are on the way.
Between Saturday night (8 pm) and Sunday (5 am), 616 drivers were fined for violating the restrictions, more than double on Friday.
One of the myths surrounding the coronavirus is that it only affects the older. However, Macaya pointed out that the ages of the hospitalized in Costa Rica are 36, 38, 47, 49, 54 and one 66-year-old.
The of the CCSS explained that, although older adults constitute the most vulnerable population, other factors such as hypertension, diabetes, cancer, and asthma also influence.
“In the experience we have had of the six (in intensive care), five are not older adults; we must take note, the young adult population is at risk. We must not only be at home to protect older adults but ourselves. Some of these people do not have identified risk factors, but they are in the Intensive Care Unit,” said Macaya.
The Caja director also was emphatic that if people do not heed to the recommendations of staying home, the contagion will spread and the number of infected will increase exponentially, which presents a serious problem of the health care system being able to cope.
In days past, Macaya explained the CCSS has made purchases of ventilators and other equipment, 311 that are expected to arrive at the beginning of June.
Macaya explained that the country currently has 555 ventilators for adults and 92 for minors.
Psychological attention to health workers
The executive president of the CCSS also reported that the institution formed a technical team, which directs the National Coordination of Psychology, under a program called Cuidar a los que nos cuidan. (Caring for those who care for us).
As of March 27, more than 900 officials have been treated in situations of stress, depression, fear, fear, guilt, insomnia, irritability and all kinds of behavior that could be the cause of the stress that health workers are feeling due to the pandemic.
“What we seek is the physical and mental health of all our health workers, but with an emphasis on centers that will attend to more cases such as Cenare and hospitals in Alajuela, Cartago, San Carlos, Liberia, Nicoya and Monsignor Sanabria,” explained Macaya.
He said that the institution is doing “everything possible” to equip all the professionals that require protective equipment; They are working with global purchases and with local groups and teams to get local production of all kinds of face masks, gowns and other materials working and that on Saturday the Comptroller General approved a US$2 million dollar purchase order.
In addition, Macaya said 53 health care workers (one more than the 52 announced on Saturday) have tested positive for the covid-19 and are in isolation.
Despite being neighbor to the country with most people infected by the coronavirus, according to official figures, Mexico is still one of the least affected, even though they are already in stage two.
Paola Castillo explains the reasons, “Mexico acted before the other countries, enacting phase 2 measures while still in phase 1”.
In addition, the covid-19 is a disease of the rich. “Ok, a little far from the truth, but the cases into Mexico were imported by people with money to be able to travel (…),’ said the Mexican.
What the video for the complete explanation of why Mexicans are immune to the covid-19.
The prejudices and social stigmas in the midst of the pandemic have been present in the population of Mexico and unfortunately also in politics and governors, such as Miguel Barbosa, of Puebla, who this Wednesday said that the poor of Mexico did not have to worry about the coronaviruses, since they, unlike the wealthy, were immune to COVID-19.
According to the Infobae report of Sunday, March 29, “The majority (of those infected) are wealthy people, eh, do they know it or not? If you are rich you are at risk, if you are poor, no, the poor are immune ”, were the words of the governor.
Barbosa suggested that the cases registered in his state by coronavirus were not affecting the poorest and that was why he felt safe: “Who is infected now? Well surely right now there are many people out of 40 people, some are parents, yes, most are wealthy people … If you are rich you are at risk, if you are poor not. The poor are immune, does it come out? ”
It is not the first time that Barbosa has made controversial statements, however, this does not help the population to know, with real information based on scientific data, how to deal with this virus, which day by day increases the number of cases despite the measuresthat the government has implemented so that citizens do not leave their homes and contain infections.
A few weeks ago, Barbosa assured that three coronavirus patients who traveled to Vail, Colorado, reported their cases late, hiding the symptoms they presented, and followed their social life for several days and that if they had reported in time, they would have been contained.
Miguel Barbosa, the governor of the State of Puebla,
On Friday, March 27, CNN en Español reported that Barbosa pointed out that he had been told that one of the best-known dishes of Puebla cuisine was a ‘vaccine’ against the coronavirus: “I have come to vaccinate myself in Ajalpan, against this organism. They told me that the vaccine that has already been discovered against the coronavirus is a dish made from mole from Guajolote. We are going to take a plate of vaccine against that virus that threatens the world. ”
The statements were made at a rehabilitation event of the Ajalpan Sports Unit held on March 14. Some of the attendees smiled at the joke and others applauded.
Barbosa was questioned by journalists from Puebla. However, he declined to comment.
Until now, no scientific study has established that contagion by coronavirus occurs more frequently in any given social stratum. What they have pointed out is that seniors with diabetes, kidney problems, immune deficiencies, among others, must observe greater care.
Nor has any type of food, plant, or medicine been shown to be effective against the virus.
According to the World Health Organization, WHO, “Although some western, traditional, or home remedies can provide comfort and alleviate the symptoms of COVID-19, there is no evidence that current medications can prevent or cure the disease. The WHO does not recommend self-medication, particularly with antibiotics, to prevent or cure covid-19. There are several ongoing clinical trials with traditional and western medications. WHO will provide updated information as soon as the results of clinical trials are available.”
Barbosa, has been Governor of the state of Puebla since August 1, 2019, for a term of 6 years. He was nominated by the Coalición Juntos Haremos Historia (Together We Will Make History Coalition), made up of the ruling Movimiento Regeneración Nacional party, the Partido del Trabajo and the Encuentro Social.
This Friday, in his most recent press conference, he indicated that his government is mainly focused on attending to the emergency caused by the covid-19. “It is an issue that we are dealing with a lot of responsibility and in absolutely no sobriety.”
As of this Sunday afternoon, March 29, 6:00 pm, Mexico, with a population of 129 million, reported 848 confirmed cases and 16 deaths.
Keylor Navas decided to return to Costa Rica with his family in the face of the global threat from the coronavirus, which in France, where more than 40,000 have tested positive and more than 2,600 people of the covid-19.
In France, Navas is the #1 goalkeeper for the Paris Saint-Germain F.C. (PSG).
The complicated part of Navas’ trip was that the French government of Emmanuel Macron canceled commercial flights and that is why it Costa Rica’s darling soccer player some US$200 thousand dollars (about ¢117 million colones) to hire the private plane that took him and family to San José, arriving Friday night.
Navas, his wife Andrea Salas and their three children, like every other Costa Rica and legal resident returning, must now obey to the 14-day mandatory quarantine
His return came two days after he publicly shared how lived in Parid under quarantine, a city he moved to last summer with his wife and three children, after completing a successful stint at Real Madrid.
“We have not been able to leave the house, just to buy food, go to the pharmacy or for an emergency,” he explained.
Before his arrest, Dominick Curra walked through the country peacefully. He went completely unnoticed, perhaps because he kept a low profile and because those who knew of his presence here protected him.
Curra, an Italian born in Calabria, was considered a magician to make mafia money grow.
There was a reason he was John Gotti’s personal bookie, a “working” relationship had already cost him several years in prison in the United States. Curra had been imprisoned in 1986 for credit card fraud and in 1998 for gambling.
Then, back in 2002, the FBI was looking for him for electronic scams and for trying to sell fake artwork by painters such as Pablo Picasso and Marc Chagall. The scams amounted to US$30 million.
The scams with the paintings came to light because the FBI sent an undercover agent to buy one.
When US authorities put Curra against the wall, he accepted the charges for that crime.
Gotti was considered the boss of bossed, commanding one of the five most powerful New York mafia families that ever existed, the Gambino family.
His fame even reached the big screen, portrayed by John Travolta in the movie “Gotti: The Mafia Boss,” which premiered on May 15, 2018.
Gotti was sentenced in 1992 to 77 years in prison. He died in prison on June 10, 2002, from throat cancer. They buried him in the best mafia style.
The FBI recorded several videos in the United States that proved that Curra was visiting Gotti in prison to give him an account of his business.
In 1998, the New York authorities had reported that four families linked to organized crime operated illegal bets in Costa Rica; they were the Gambino family (to which Gotti belonged), the Bonnano, the Lucchese and the Genovese.
Four years later, little had happened.
An officer from the Dirección de Inteligencia y Seguridad Nacional (DIS) – Costa Rica’s intelligence and national security agency – when they caught Curra and who still works in police in the country told about the capture and the uproar that it caused in 2002.
The officer, with a 22-year record of police work, identified only as Castro, said “The FBI had warned at that time of the entry into the country of the bookie and the business connection to the Italian mafia that was established in New York and (alerted) that they were moving millions through internet gambling, using Costa Rica to multiply their millions.”
Castro describes Gotti as “They were people who controlled New York, they were many Italians and they were all very powerful and violent. They paid for things to be done their way, it was an organized mafia.”
Although Gotti, also known as “the Teflon Don” was imprisoned and sentenced to life imprisonment, all of his businesses continued in the hands of his successors.
That is why Curra, 57, was in our country, but his luck ran out one day.
“We received a call that alerted us to where the Italian was, the hours at which he left and detailed the businesses that he handled here,” explains Castro.
“It was a call with the intention that he would be captured, but also with the intention that he knew he had been betrayed for payback for an error or to definitively remove him from the business,” said Castro.
For the country, it was a very important capture and the DIS coordinated all the details.
According to Castro, there was already an FBI agent in our country on Curra’s trail.
The Italian was detained at 8 am near the ICE main building in Sabana Norte. He was staying at the Aparthotel Cristina, 100 meters north from the main road.
He was going to an internet betting company that was in an office two kilometers from where he was staying, spending hours there.
18 years have passed since the capture
Curra had arrived in the country as a tourist on December 24, 2001. On February 1, 2002, he left the country and returned as Pedro, there was no immigration record of the day he entered Costa Rica again.
He claimed to feel persecuted by the United States and always complained that despite having a rank in the organization, he never got the respect.
“Italian mafiosi are characterized by their good taste for expensive clothing, they do not go unnoticed because their appearance is faultless, but in this case, Dominick Curra dressed normal, had a low profile, interactive little with people,” recalls Castro.
Curra spoke and greeted the necessary, no more.
“To buy food from a nearby supermarket he moved on foot, he had a reliable driver, and stayed in a modest place,” added the agent, who recalled that when Cura was arrested he did not say a word.
“You could see he was a very quick and intelligent man, at one point he denied the charges for which he was accused in the United States and if I remember correctly because it was a long time ago, he told us that he was a gambler and that from this he earned and supported his family with a good standard of living,” he said.
Curra was held in the San Sebastián jail while waiting for extradition and the arrival of U.S. authorities.
In an interview he gave to the La Nación newspaper while he was awaiting extradition, Curra confirmed that he was a friend of Gotti but denied being his bookie.
He also said he knew Joseph Caridi, another Italian mafia boss in New York and accused in the United States of running an Internet gambling ring, extortion and cocaine trafficking in Costa Rica.
Caridi and Curra were neighbors.
“People love gambling, for that reason no government is going to stop the game. It is much easier to control and regulate this business than to destroy it, because everyone likes to gamble,” the Italian told La Nación in 2002.
“With the technological resources we have right now, the capture would have unleashed more investigations in gambling,” said Castro.
Castro assures that Curra made movements of cash to mislead the authorities. Those movements then exceeded ¢5 million colones.
Curra was extradited by order of the First Judicial Circuit on February 27, 2003, under strict security measures. He spent a year in prison in Costa Rica because he fought extradition to the United States.
“A major operation was carried out to transfer him to the airport, the FBI asked that the low-profile operation be carried out because he was a highly dangerous detainee,” says Castro.
Curra, who is now 75 years old, was sentenced by an American court. Nothing more is known of him, legally.
“He received a sentence of not less than ten years and along with him were several other Italians linked to the mafia.
“Here in the country, there was a problem about internet gambling that was already being analyzed, if we had had the technology right now and the resources, who knows how much more would have been detected about the mafia movement of money,” Castro concluded.
A total of 616 drivers were fined Saturday night, from 8 pm and 5 am this Sunday for violating the vehicular restriction; 16 of them were under the influence – drunk.
The data was provided this morning by the Ministry of Public Security, after carrying out a mega-operation together with the Policia de Transito (Traffic Police), the San Jose Municipal Police, the immigration police and the University of Costa Rica (UCR) police.
Police action, one of the measures taken by the government to prevent the spread of the covid-19, governs 10 pm to 5 om weekdays and on weekends from 8 pm to 5 am.
Being that the measure was introduced on Friday, this weekend the 8 to 5 was applied only on Saturday and Sunday, come this coming weekend it will be Friday, Saturday and Sunday.
In addition to the restrictions violation, 521 of the drivers incurred fines for other violations of the traffic law, such as driving without a license, not having the Marchamo and Riteve current, driving under the influence and others.
The numbers for the first four days of the restrictions, a total of 1,422 drivers were fined: 159 on Tuesday, 169 on Wednesday, 218 on Thursday, 266 on Friday and 616 on Saturday.
The current fine for the restrictions that will continue until April 12, is ¢23,000 colones. A proposal is expected to be introduced to Congress this week to up the fine to ¢107,000 colones.
The restriction is countrywide, however, authorities are focusing on the greater metropolitan area of San Jose, the area with the largest population in the country.
Tonight Sunday, police will be out monitoring the roads starting at 8 pm.
A number of retailers, like Walmart for example, have announced closing their stores at 7:30 pm.
Notwithstanding, the Ministry of Health issued an order on Saturday that all establishments with health permits – that is everything retail, restaurant, and businesses that have direct attention to the public – must be closed from 8 pm on the weekends.
Excluded are supermarkets, supers and puplerias (corner stores) and home delivery of medicines and food.
The Ministry of Health announced that starting Saturday, March 28, all establishments with sanitary permits – that is everything retail, restaurant, businesses that have direct attention to the public- must be closed from 8 pm on the weekends.
Roman Macaya (left), head of the CCSSS or Caj and Daniel Salas, Minister of Health
The Minister of Health, Dr. Daniel Salas, explained the weekend includes Friday, Saturday and Sunday.
Businesses permitted to operate are supermarkets, supers and pulperias (corner grocery stores), as well as public and private health centers and any establishment that does not provide direct person to person contact with, such as home delivery of medications and food.
The restriction does not apply either to funeral homes or to institutions that, due to their nature, must remain open, such as the Immigration, Customs, State Phytosanitary services, land, sea, and air border posts.
295 cases and 15 internees
The cases of new coronavirus in the country reached 295 confirmed this Saturday. These are people between one and 87 years of age.
According to the Ministry of Health report to date, these are 157 men and 138 women, of which 15 are currently interned in medical centers, six of these in intensive care. The ages of patients who have required hospitalization range from 36 to 66 years.
As of this Saturday, three people have recovered and the number of deaths remains at two. However, the minister insisted that there will be more deaths.
“It is unfortunate to say, but this number will continue to increase. If this number continues to rise in the following weeks, there will not be an opportunity for people who will be entering intensive care to give them the attention they deserve,” said the minister.
The CCSS president Roman Macaya reported that 52 health care workers have tested positive for the Covid-19, the majority working at the Alajuela hospital.
People aren’t staying home
One of the major problems faced by authorities is that people are not staying home, on Friday and Saturday there was an increase in the number of cars on the roads and people on the streets.
“People are getting desperate, but now is not the time to get stressed, because this (the pandemic) is only starting. If we ignore staying in, it may not be ‘you” that may not have a respirator (if needed),” he said.
Minister Salas reiterated the concern of Costa Rica’s health system not being able to handle the capacity if the pandemic in the country gets out of control.
The Health Minister said that bar-restaurants that take advantage of this condition to maintain their bar activity, despite the ban, expose themselves to the risk that their permits will be suspended.
Heavy fines
This week, the government of Carlos Alvarado will introduce two bills to modify fines for violations of the traffic law with respect to the mandatory countrywide vehicular restrictions and violation of the mandatory 14-day quarantine Health order.
As to traffic fines, the proposal will be to increase the fine from the current ¢23,000 to ¢107,000 colones for each infraction.
The proposed fine for violating a health order is one base salary, which is currently about ¢450,000 colones.
Users of Tinder, one of the world’s most popular online dating platforms, have been greeted by an unusual message on the app in recent days.
“Social distancing doesn’t have to mean disconnecting,” it begins. “We hope to be a place for connection during this challenging time, but it’s important to stress that now is not the time to meet in real life with your match. Please keep things here for now.”
As human instincts go, the desire to form connections with other people, particularly of a romantic nature, is surely stronger than most.
Global restrictions on movement and interaction aimed at stopping the spread of the novel coronavirus have worked in Asia and may work elsewhere. But will they slow the rate at which new relationships are formed, particularly in countries where online dating has become such a common way for people to meet?
Not necessarily, would appear to be the early evidence. While Tinder and other major dating platforms have shared WHO guidelines on social distancing in their apps and recommended that their users do not meet in person, they have noticed a sharp increase in usage in recent weeks.
Dating while being socially distant
Berlin resident Lars, 45, has continued to use dating apps since the COVID-19 pandemic took hold in Germany but he hasn’t met up with anyone in person. That’s not unusual though, he tells DW, as he normally waits quite a while before meeting someone in person anyway. Although the topic has come up, he says.
“There have been a couple of chats about meeting up for a socially distanced date, and also a lot of laughter about how weird or unsexy or unromantic that would be. I think that would be the only way right now to date responsibly though, to meet with respect for social distancing,” he said.
There are no statistics available for what percentage of online daters in Germany or elsewhere have reduced the extent to which they meet in person since social distancing became a widely recommended behavior. However, with pubs, bars and many restaurants closed, the number of possible locations to meet have dwindled significantly.
According to Tinder, users in countries that have been particularly afflicted by the pandemic have been more active since the restrictions began. And people are chatting online for longer, a possible sign they are taking comfort in more online communication at a time when face-to-face communication is not possible or at the very least, not recommended.
“The number of daily messages in the US increased by 10% to 15% compared with February,” a spokesperson for Tinder told DW. “The number of daily messages in countries such as Italy and Spain, as part of an overall European trend, increased by up to 25% compared with the previous weeks. The length of conversations also increased by 10% to 30% compared with February,” she said.
Several other online dating apps such as Bumble and Plenty of Fish have reported similar spikes in usage, particularly in places that have been heavily hit by lockdowns.
That people are using the apps differently than before is backed up anecdotally. Several people told DW that they have noticed that other users — men in particular — had become “kinder” than before, apparently being willing to chat for longer and in a manner more conducive to meaningful conversations.
A lucrative market
Various analyses put the value of the global online dating market at between $6 billion (€5.45 billion) and $10 billion. It’s a market that is growing rapidly as more and more relationships start online, with people increasingly willing to pay for services likely to lead to successful matchups.
As an illustration of the allure of the market, Facebook launched its own dating venture last September.
While it might seem like the scale of the COVID-19 outbreak and the resulting massive lockdowns would have a damaging effect on an industry where face-to-face interaction is a crucial part, the initial signs are that online dating platforms are making the most of the crisis.
For those users who are adhering to social distancing while still using the platforms, video dating has become a popular alternative to meeting up in person.
Bumble has offered in-app calls since last year, and it recorded a 20% jump in the volume of users availing of the feature over the last week. As the pandemic worsened, Plenty of Fish created a live streaming option for certain areas, so potential matches can see each other in real time.
Tinder has also reacted to the outbreak with a policy shift. The company has decided to make its “passport” feature, which allows paid subscribers to connect with anyone regardless of location, free to everyone around the world.
All about connection
For Lars, one of the major costs of the COVID-19 outbreak is “a sudden lack of connection” between people, and he thinks the apps are useful at this time as they give people an opportunity to find others to talk to, even if not in person.
That’s something that Tinder CEO Elie Seidman remarked on last week in a statement to the company’s users.
“We know that for many of our members it’s more about the connection than the location,” he said. “These are challenging times. And while it is not a moment to be meeting matches in person, we recognize that Tinder — a platform that is about connection — can play an important role as people navigate the uncertainty that COVID-19 has introduced into our everyday lives.”
The outbreak certainly hasn’t stopped some users meeting for a date though.
Gesine, a 46-year-old online dater, told DW she recently went for a “walking date” with a man. While she said it was “very limiting,” given that they observed social distancing rules, she said it was fun and that the big benefit was that “you can’t hide as there is nothing to distract” as there might be in a club or a cinema.
Could social distancing itself become “the new sexy” in the dating world? According to Tinder, among the most popular terms in user bios over the past week has been “stay home, be safe, social distancing, wash your hands.”
Many of us are tracking the daily coronavirus infection and death rates. You may have noticed that the death rates differ greatly from country to country. Here are some of the main reasons.
In Costa Rica, the number of deaths from coronavirus is relatively low for the number of confirmed infections. The rate is lower than in Panama, where the number of deaths linked to confirmed Covid-19 infections remains extremely high. Currently, there are 17 deaths and 901 infected, while Costa Rica has remained at 2 deaths and the number of infected rising to 295, with data from the Johns Hopkins University.
Rounding out Centra America, El Salvador, which move early in measures to contain the virus reports 34 infected and no deaths, Guatemala reports 34 confirmed cases and one death, in Honduras there is one death and 110 cases reported and then there’s Nicaragua with 2 deaths and only 4 cases.
The World Health Organization (WHO) says various factors can contribute to such discrepancies.
First, there’s the “population pyramid” or distribution of age and gender in a given country. Then there’s the medical or healthcare capacities of each country. And last but not least, the number of people who are tested for coronavirus, because knowing and recording exactly who has been infected will directly influence the validity of any published figures.
In some countries, supplementary tests are carried out on the dead. And that would influence the statistics as well.
That may be explained if, in Italy, fewer younger people, who presented with mild symptoms, were tested. That would influence the death rate, because only the severely ill would be visible.
In Italy, a report in the national newspaper, Corriere della Sera, suggests there may be a high number of unreported cases in the country, both among infections and those people who are dying following an infection.
In South Korea, it’s the exact opposite. Authorities there have tested significantly more people for Covid-19 than other countries. And the estimated death rate in South Korea is extremely low.
Population pyramid
The average age of a population can also play a role here. Older people are at high risk of contracting the coronavirus as they often have pre-existing health conditions.
That can make it easier for a virus to overcome a person’s immune system — certainly easier than is with otherwise healthy people, who are often also young. Our immune defenses weaken as we get older, our immune systems become less effective, and that puts us at greater risk of infectious diseases.
But that doesn’t fully explain the significant differences between Costa Rica and Panama and because the population pyramid in both countries is similar. In 2020, the median age in Panama is was 29.7 years and in Costa Rica it was 33.5 years.
Timing of the epidemic
The course of the epidemic could provide a further explanation for the difference in death rates.
In those countries that have been especially hard-hit by the outbreak — such as Italy and Spain — the pandemic appeared earlier.
In Costa Rica, the first case was detected on March 4, in Panama on March 9.
And as it takes time from the first moment of infection to the point at which a severely ill patient dies, the death rate among confirmed cases is likely to rise as we get to the end of the pandemic.
Costa Rica’s Minister of Health Dr. Daniel Salas, said that the country has yet to reach its own peak, and once it does, we could see higher rates of mortality here as well.
The health of a healthcare system
The most important question, however, is how well a country’s healthcare system is prepared for an outbreak, such as the coronavirus, and whether it can succeed in “flattening the curve.” The idea here is to reduce the likelihood of any sudden spikes in the infection and death rates by keeping numbers stable as a virus spreads through a population.
It’s possible, for instance, to reduce the number of deaths of severely ill coronavirus patients with the help of respirators, or ventilator machines. So, it’s important that there are enough hospital beds in intensive care and access to such machines.
If there are too few intensive care beds and ventilators for artificial respiration, it’s likely that those patients who don’t get that care will be at higher risk of dying.
