(QCOSTARICA) The Ministry of Health has said it will not allow the use of “disinfection tunnels” in Costa Rica, a system activated by sensors to release a disinfecting substance as a person passes through.
Such a system was installed recently at the main entrance of the Central Market (Mercado Central) in downtown San Jose.
Other businesses and even sports clubs see their use as a way to prevent contagion of COVID-19.
However, the Minister of Health, Daniel Salas, will have not of this.
“It is not recommended, it is not allowed given the health risk it represents. We are going to follow up on the disabling of those who are currently in use,” said the Minister at Monday’s press conference.
The manager of the Mercado Central, Roberto Campos, commented that the tunnel was removed almost immediately after the call by the Ministry of Health and that all guidelines issued by the Ministry will be respected.
“We did not have any adverse reaction at the moment, but it could because we are not all used to it,” Campos explained.
“It was one more option that we studied, an alternative for Mecado,” he added.
The Guadalupe FC soccer club had also implemented the technology. “We have not received any notification about it, but we are going to talk to them (Ministry of Health) to come and investigate, to analyze it and if they say that it does not bring any benefit, we would remove them. We hope that they give us somewhat more formal information,” said team manager Robert Garbanzo.
The Ministry of Health did not detail how many tunnels have been installed and in use in the country and whether they have already issued formal notifications for their removal.