The Guanacaste town of Bagaces joined the list of cantons with cases of covid-19 in Costa Rica, Health Minister Daniel Salas confirmed this Thursday afternoon.

Thus, positive cases are recorded in 61 of the 82 cantons of the seven provinces.
By age, there are 681 adults (38 of whom are seniors) and 38 minors.
There are 338 recovered. The number of regrettable deaths remains at 6, all men with an age range of 45 to 87 years.
Currently, 16 people are hospitalized, of whom 9 are in Intensive Care Units.
When asked (from journalists from their home or offices) if the reopening of borders is considered in the near future to allow the revival of the tourism sector, it was clear that Minister Salas does not see it as an immediate possibility.
He recalled that countries that have opened their borders after good management of covid-19, had setbacks.
“To open the borders at this time would be to have centers of transmission and it would be like having community transmission. The most cautious thing we could see if we can open domestic tourism, but opening the borders to foreigners could fill the country with cases and prevent the traceability we have had,” he said.
On the limited reopening of the economy that begins Friday afternoon, Salas warned, “If people forgot, we are in a pandemic”.
During the afternoon press conference, a day ahead of the trial run re-opening of the economy, Minister Salas made a call to people, that if they must go out, to try not to go out at peak times.

At the conference table Thursday, Minister Salas was joined by Lissette Navas of Francisco Duarte, of the Inciensa, who explained the implications of the genome sequencing of the virus causing covid-19, achieved by the institution.
The fourth person at the table Thursday was Geannina Dinarte, minister de Labor, who spoke about the “Bono Proteger” program, that payments to the some 304,000 are being direct deposited to their account, reminding those who have been approved and not gotten paid, to review and submit correct bank account information.
A point made by Minister Dinarte, is that people who have automatic payments on their accounts, to deactivate them, or they could their Bono going to where it was not intended.