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|  Published Wednesday, July 8, 2020
Police attend more than 4,000
alerts for non-compliance with
quarantine restrictions
By the A.M. Costa Rica staff
Last weekend, police responded to 4,602 complaints about people breaking the quarantine restrictions ordered by the government due to the containment of the covid-19 outbreak in the country.
According to Michael Soto, the Minister of Security, 1,300 alerts were complaints about gatherings such as crowded house parties, or groups of people drinking liquor in public places.
The rest of the 3,302 alerts were reports about mass crowded gatherings of people inside companies, bars, restaurants, markets among others. The sanitary orders are to maintain only 50% of the maximum capacity of people allowed in places, which was not complied by business owners or customers.
According to the Costa Rican Penal Code, the sanction for disrespecting or breaking the sanitary order issued by the Ministry of Health is serving jail time from six months to three years, the ministry reported.
The law also penalizes people who enter prohibited areas such as parks or tourist areas that are not yet open to the public. In this case, the penalty is from three months to two years in prison.
One of the most recent cases of breaking sanitary restrictions happened over the weekend in Grecia District, in Alajuela Province.
According to the police, a group of motorcyclists were holding a competition. And crowds of people showed up to watch the races, neglecting government-ordered restrictions.
The police delivered a formal report about the incident to the Prosecutor's Office in Grecia to charge people for breaking the quarantine order issued by the Ministry of Health.
Authorities call on the people to report to the emergency number 911 of any suspicious illicit gatherings with crowds, such as parties, restaurants, markets, business, among others.
Since the beginning of the health emergency by covid-19, the Ministry of Health decreed a ban on recreational or business activities in which people become crowded. The maximum number of people allowed in public places, public institutions or businesses is 50% of their maximum capacity of the site.
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