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|  Published Wednesday, June 17, 2020
the northern of the country
By the A.M. Costa Rica staff
The Minister of Security, Michael Soto Rojas, announced on Tuesday the creation of a command post or police operations center in the northern region of the country in Tablillas de Los Chiles District in Alajuela Province. The new post is intended to handle police operations due to covid-19.
“Now we are reinforcing the seven cantons of attention; bringing more police support, " Minister Soto said. "And work more due to the Ban on driving restrictions issued on these cantons.”
The increase in police presence responds to the Orange Alert issued by the National Emergency Commission last week, increasing restrictions in some of the districts in that area of the country.
The command post has officers from the Ministry of Security, Traffic, Migration, Ministry of Health personnel, among other public institutions.
Also, the Deputy Minister of Security, Randall Vega announced the renewal of the loan agreement until September of the El Paraje hotel, located in the north, where about 160 policemen live.
According to the Ministry of Security, one of the difficulties is that police officers are challenged to long walks, up to eight hours, along the Nicaraguan border to try to contain the entry of unauthorized foreigners to the country.
"The clay, mud, stone, bush, cracked, humid, muddy soil, together with the incessant heat for a few moments and the sudden rain, makes the walk more difficult," says the ministry in its statement.
According to the ministry, the patrol areas are from the San Carlos River, the natural border between Costa Rica and Nicaragua, across the communities of Palo Seco, Cureña and Cureñita, until reaching the mountainous area of Sarapiquí Canton.
Since last week, due to the increase in cases diagnosed with covid-19 in the northern zone of the country, the National Emergency Commission increased the Orange Alert areas until further notice.
With this new alert, the Cantons and Districts with restrictions on commercial activities and ban on driving are: Paquera, Guatuso, Guácimo, La Cruz, Los Chiles, Pococí, Río Cuarto, La Fortuna, Venice, Aguas Zarcas, Cutris, Pital, Pocosol, Plains of Gaspar, Curuña, Pacuarito, Reventazón, Upala, Peñas Blancas, Las Juntas, Cañas and Bebedero.
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, explained Alexander Solís, president of the Commission.
Businesses, in general, will be able to attend to the public every day, from 5 a.m. to 5 p.m. The commerce restriction schedule does not apply in supermarkets, pharmacies, or so-called Pulperías, small grocery stores and health services related to business.
Restrictions also apply to river accessibility, from Monday to Sunday, from 5 p.m. to 5 a.m. of the next day. This law applies to the rivers of Medio Queso, Frío, Tortuguero, Colorado, Sarapiquí and San Carlos.
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