QCOSTARICA – Due to the increase in covid infections in the middle of the third pandemic wave, the Government ordered the closure of non-essential businesses in the central area of the country from today, Monday, May, 3 to Sunday, May 9.
Exceptions will apply to establishments considered essential, which may provide service to the public during the week from 5 am to 9 pm.
Medical centers, pharmacies, veterinary, supermarkets, suppliers, bakeries, butchers, grocery stores, greengrocers, farmer’s fairs, agricultural supplies, banks, and hotels are on the exempted list. See here the complete and official list.
Meanwhile, restaurants will be able to operate with home delivery or self-service window.
All productive and industrial activities may continue to operate with workers with the respective compliance with health protocols. However, Health authorities make a call to maximize teleworking.
Public entities, for example, will operate with a basic scheme of no more than 20% of the personnel in person. In addition, they will guarantee the operation of the customer service offices.
On the contrary, the closures will apply in general retail stores, department stores, beauty salons, barbershops, esthetics, churches and gyms will not be able to open their doors to the public next week.
These rules only apply to the cantons in the center of the country that are detailed below:
Saint Jose province: San José center, Escazú, Desamparados, Aserrí, Mora, Goicoechea, Santa Ana, Alajuelita, Vásquez de Coronado, Tibás, Moravia, Montes de Oca, Curridabat, Puriscal, Tarrazú, Acosta, Turrubares, Dota and León Cortés.
Alajuela province: Alajuela center, Poás, Atenas, Grecia, Sarchí, Palmares, Naranjo, San Ramón and Zarcero.
Cartago province: Cartago center, Paraíso, La Unión, Alvarado, Oreamuno, Jiménez, Turrialba and El Guarco.
Heredia province: Heredia center, Barva, Santo Domingo, Santa Bárbara, San Rafael, San Isidro, Belén, Flores and San Pablo.
“The contagion data from this region, made up of 45 cantons, represents 68% of the cases reported the previous week (6,285 out of 9,120), evidencing the need to take urgent measures to flatten the contagion curve,” said the Presidency.
Establishments with operating permits that are not located in these cantons, may open from 5 am 9 pm.
Vehicle restrictions
The nighttime vehicle restrictions, starting today and until May 31 will begin at 9:00 pm (not 11 pm) and until 5:00 am. This applies to all vehicles not in the exemption list and throughout the entire country.
Within the cantons of the Central Valley (
The daytime vehicle restrictions are from 5:00 am to 9:00 pm, is as follows:
- Mondays, vehicles with licenses plated ending in 1 & 2 CANNOT circulate
- Tuesdays, vehicles with licenses plated ending in 3 & 4 CANNOT circulate
- Wednesdays, vehicles with licenses plated ending in 5 & 6 CANNOT circulate
- Thursdays, vehicles with licenses plated ending in 7 & 8 CANNOT circulate
- Fridays, vehicles with licenses plated ending in 9 & 0 CANNOT circulate
- Saturdays vehicles with license plates ending in 1, 3, 5, 7, & 9 CANNOT circulate
- Sundays vehicles with license plates ending in 0, 2, 4, 6, & 8 CANNOT circulate
Outside the Central Valley
The only vehicular restrictions applicable outside the Central Valley are on weekends, from 5:00 am to 9:00 pm:
- Saturdays only vehicles with license plates ending in 0, 2, 4, 6, & 8 CAN circulate
- Sundays only vehicles with license plates ending in 1, 3, 5, 7, & 9 CAN circulate
The fine for violating the vehicular restrictions is ¢110,000 colones.
