Published Wednesday, June 3, 2020 

By the A.M. Costa Rica staff

Officials announced on Tuesday a stricter increase in measures in regards to the ban on driving at the border zone with Nicaragua due to the risk of spreading covid-19 in the country.

The modified ban begins today until further notice, said both the minister of Health Daniel Salas and minister of Public Security Michael Soto, at a press conference.

The new ban on driving is enforced daily, Monday to Sunday, from 5:00 p.m. to 5:00 a.m. The cantons affected are: Guatuso, La Cruz, Los Chiles, Upala, Río Cuarto, Duacarí in Guácimo, Colorado, La Colonia in Pococí, Aguas Zarcas, Cutris, Pital, Pocosol in San Carlos, Llanuras del Gaspar, Curuña in Sarapiquí, Pacuarito and Reventazón in Siquirres.

It’s not just the driving ban that was adjusted.

New restrictions on sailing will apply in the northern zone rivers Medio Queso, Frío, Tortuguero, Colorado and Sarapiquí.

Only fishermen boats will be allowed to sail on those rivers as long as they can provide proof of legal commercial activity.


The ban on driving in the rest of the country will remain unchanged.

During the weekday from 5:00 a.m. at 10:00 p.m., the strict vehicle regulations will remain in place. The driving ban is implemented to different license plates depending on the day of the week.

• On Mondays, there are no cars permitted with plates ending in 1 and 2.

• On Tuesdays, cars with plates ending in 3 and 4 cannot circulate.

• On Wednesdays, plates ending in 5 and 6 must stay off the streets.

• On Thursdays, vehicles with plates ending in 7 and 8 cannot be active on the streets.

• On Fridays, no plates ending in 9 and 0 can be on the road.


During the weekday, the night ban on driving is from 10:00 p.m. at 5:00 a.m.

On weekends, from Saturday to Sunday, the ban on driving applies from 5:00 am to 7:00 pm, as follows:

• On Saturdays, vehicles whose plates end in 0, 2, 4, 6 and 8 cannot circulate.

• On Sundays, vehicles whose plates end in 1, 3, 5, 7 and 9 cannot circulate.

On weekends, the ban on driving is maintained at night for all vehicles throughout the country, from 7:00 pm to 5:00 a.m.

The border closure will continue until June 30.

Salas said that as part of the factors analyzed in the current national state of emergency, there is a risk of higher vulnerability to covid-19 faced by certain regions of the country due to its geographical location.

"Certain cantons of the national territory that are more vulnerable to the spread of covid-19 due to its proximity or connection to the borders, particularly concerning the country's northern border," Salas said. "Therefore, it is necessary to set precise measures to reduce the risk of exposure and spread in these areas. "

According to Salas, the decision has been made to adapt the most severe restrictions in these sectors to protect the health of the population.

Also, Soto said that there are some points on the borderline which allow unauthorized entry of foreigners into the country.

"We will be working hard with all the police bodies of the Ministry of Public Security, Migration, Traffic and the Judicial Investigation Organization to ensure that these measures are carried out as the way we have already worked since the beginning of the border closure, and now in particular with these new restrictions that are set to protect the health of citizens, " Soto said. "The ban on driving measures we are announcing came after a process of dialogue with local authorities and the business sector."

According to the Costa Rica Vice President Epsy Campbell, there is a real danger for the country given the complicated situation that Nicaragua is going through, and the restriction measures must be reinforced to guarantee that public health is not put at risk. 

In May, the Pan American Health Organization announced that Nicaragua is already in the stage of community contagion. The organization has expressed concern about the situation and management of the pandemic in Nicaragua, piquing their interest in visiting the country. PAHO must be requested by the Nicaraguan authorities to come into the country.

The alleged false reporting of covid-19 patients in Nicaragua, leaves Costa Rica vulnerable to an increase in cases.


The health ministry reported on Tuesday afternoon 413 active cases. Active patients are those who currently have the virus.

Authorities provided the following statistics of the evolution of the virus in the country:

• Of the 1,105 infected since the first case was detected in March, 682 coronavirus patients have fully recovered. That is equal to 62% of total recovered patients.

• The ages of those affected range from a 5-day old newborn to an 89-year-old, with an average age of 36.

• 19 patients are being treated in public hospitals, where 14 are in recovery rooms and 5 have been reported in an Intensive Care Unit, ICU, with delicate health conditions. Most of the infected patients are quarantined in their homes.

• 217 foreigners infected, of these 27 entered the country unauthorized and are jailed in the facilities of the Professional Migration Police in Heredia Province.

• 18,647 people have been ruled out.

• 27,318 medical covid-19 tests have been made.

• 10 deaths have been reported from patients infected with covid-19 since March.

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 Tuesday night, the pandemic has killed 380,251 patients worldwide, according to recent statistics reported by the Center for Systems Science and Engineering (CSSE) at Johns Hopkins University.





-------------------------
How should authorities deter the entry of undocumented immigrants across the northern border during the pandemic?  We would like to know your thoughts on this story. Send your comments to news@amcostarica.com