Phase III reopening does not apply to covid-19 higher risk infection zones

Published Monday, June 29, 2020

Phase III reopening does not apply to
covid-19 higher risk infection zones

By the A.M. Costa Rica staff

After an analysis of the epidemiological situation, the government announces the country is now on phase III of reopening, except for some areas that are still in Orange Alert due to the higher risk of covid-19 infection.

The phase III of reopening in businesses and public institutions authorizes the continuity of operations every day, from Monday to Sunday, as long as it complies with the entry of 50% of the maximum capacity of clients on the site and at least 1.8 meters of social distancing between people.

In the case of places of worship like churches, they can continue operations as long as it complies with a maximum of 75 people on the site, and comply with the aforementioned social distance.

In the case of beaches, access is allowed every day of the week, from Monday to Sunday, with a time of 5:00 a.m. at 9:30 a.m. People will be able to visit the beaches in groups of so-called social bubbles. A social bubble is defined as a group of people with whom they have close physical contact.

In the case of cinemas, theaters and museums, admission is only allowed with pre-purchased tickets, because entry tickets are not available to buy at the box office. Only 50% of the maximum number of people can enter the same site and comply with the aforementioned social distance mandates.

Authorities confirm the opening of aerial borders as of August 1 of this year at the Juan Santamaría International Airport in Alajuela Province and the Daniel Oduber in Guanacaste province.

According to the authorities, the following areas may not advance onto phase III:

Curridabat, La Uruca, La Merced, Hospital, Hatillo, Mata Redonda, Catedral, Zapote, San Francisco de Dos Ríos and San Sebastián, San Rafael in Escazú, Aserrí, San Gabriel in Aserri, all located in San José Province.

The following areas will also not advance to phase III, Corralillo in Cartago Province and Ulloa in Heredia Province.

Concerning areas declared Orange Alerts, the National Emergency Commission modified most of the areas during this past week. As of Sunday, the continuity of areas in Orange Alert are in the following zones: La Fortuna de San Carlos Canton, Tres Esquinas, Los Ángeles, Sonafluca, La Perla, San Isidro, El Tanque, San Jorge and Santa Cecilia.

In the Pococí Canton the alert is maintained in the areas of Cariari, Colorado, La Rita and Roxana.

In Desamparados Canton, the alert continues in Patarrá, Los Guido, San Miguel, San Rafael Abajo, San Rafael Arriba and San Juan de Dios.

In Upala, Pococí cantons, and the district of La Fortuna, the Orange Alert ban on driving will continue, due to the proximity of these zones to the border with Nicaragua.

Orange Alert stretches into commerce restrictions. Businesses will continue to be open for the public, from 5 a.m. to 5 p.m. The commerce restriction schedule does not apply in supermarkets, pharmacies, or small grocery stores and health services, better known as pulperías.

The alert also affects driving restrictions in these regions. The ban on driving applies every day, Monday to Sunday from 5 p.m. to 5 a.m. of the next day.

These mandatory orders are in response to the increase in covid-19 cases in the country.

On Sunday, the Ministry of Health provided the following statistics of the status of the virus in the country:

• 151 new cases of patients infected with covid-19, bringing the total to 1,749 active cases.

• The ages of infected patients range from a three-month-old baby to a 94-year-old person.

• Of the 3,130 people infected since March, 850 are foreigners. That is approximately 27% of the total cases.

• 37 patients are being treated in public hospitals, where 3 are in the Intensive Care Unit, ICU, with delicate health conditions. Most of the infected patients are quarantined in their homes.

• 1,366 coronavirus patients have fully recovered. That is equal to 43% of the total of cases.

• 28,205 people have been ruled out.

• 40,319 medical covid-19 tests have been made.

• 15 deaths have been reported from patients infected with covid-19 since March, six women and nine men.

The updated number of total patients in each district can be reached at the National Distance Education University on its Covid-19 Map.

As of Sunday night, the pandemic has killed 501,281 patients worldwide, according to recent statistics reported by the Center for Systems Science and Engineering (CSSE) at Johns Hopkins University.

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Should authorities extend the Orange Alert to all the zones at the border? We would like to know your thoughts on this story. Send your comments to news@amcostarica.com