|
| 
Published Monday, August 10, 2020
Ban on driving and business
reopening in Yellow Alert zones
Government establishes new guidelines for Yellow Alert zones in most of the country, to slow down the speedy increase in covid-19 infected cases and deaths. Businesses and the right to drive, will be restricted for the rest of the month with the new regulations.
This is an emergency measure for the containment of covid-19 throughout the country, according to the Ministry of Health and the National Commission for Emergencies.
According to the government's new rules, the Yellow Alert zones will not be affected by the so-called Closing Phase, which is only in Orange Alert zones.
Ban on driving. The week-days restrictions to drive apply from Monday to Friday, between the hours of 5 a.m. to 9 p.m. Vehicles are not allowed on the roads after 9 p.m. Vehicles with plates ending in the following numbers are NOT ALLOWED on the road:
• On Monday, plates ending on numbers 1 or 2.
• On Tuesday, plates ending on 3 or 4.
• On Wednesday, plates ending on 5 or 6.
• On Thursday, plates ending on 7 or 8.
• On Friday, plates ending on 9 or 0.
On weekends, Saturdays and Sundays, driving will be allowed from 5 a.m. to 7 p.m. Vehicles are not allowed on the roads after 7 p.m. The ban on driving applies to cars whose plates end in the following numbers:
• On Saturday, plates ending on 0, 2, 4, 6 or 8.
• On Sunday, plates ending on 1, 3, 5, 7 or 9.
In Yellow Alert zones, public services and private businesses will be regulated according to the so-called Opening Phase.
Most of the businesses can continue operations from Monday to Sunday, such as restaurants, shops, gyms, hotels, banks, garages, offices, museums, cinemas, theaters, among others.
Businesses can open as long as they keep 50% of the maximum number of people on the site, and respect the guidelines of the Ministry of Health.
Hotels will be able to maintain 100% of clients in private areas, and at most 50% in common areas.
Places of worship will remain open, but with far fewer people allowed to congregate in one enclosed space, only 75 people at a time. There are also mandatory sanitary measures in place for churches.
The so-called feria del agricultor, or farmer’s markets, may continue to operate on weekends, as long as they provide a special schedule for senior citizens from 5 a.m. to 8:30 a.m.
The full list of businesses allowed to reopen in Yellow Alert Zones can be read on the government Covid-Alerts site, in Spanish.
Special ban on driving in border zones. The Yellow Alert also establishes a different ban on a driving schedule, from 5 a.m. to 5 p.m. in the border regions with Nicaragua and Panama. The list of zones under this special ban on driving rule can be read on the government Covid Alerts site, in Spanish.
For more information on the new restrictions in declared Orange Alert zones checkout AM Costa Rica’s article: “New ban on driving in Orange Alert zones for the rest of the month.”
----------------------
Do you think restrictive measures are helping decrease the spread of covid-19 in the country? We would like
to know your thoughts on this story. Send your
comments to news@amcostarica.com
|
