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 The driving restrictions continue in place, from 5 a.m. to 10 p.m. as long as their plate number isn’t banned for the day. - Cosevi photo - |
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Published on Monday, August 16, 2021
Driving restrictions will continue in place for this week, from today Monday, Aug. 16, to Sunday, Aug. 22. The strict rules come following the National Decree for Health Emergency implemented in 2020, as a measure to try to decrease covid-19 infections, according to the National Emergency Commission. The government confirmed that due to the continuous increase in covid-19 cases in the country, the restrictions should continue until herd immunity can be achieved, which is at least 83% of the population, about 4,274,344 million people vaccinated. Last week, records show that 3,643,508 people have received at least one dose of the vaccine, according to the Vaccine National Information System report. The driving restrictions continue in place, from 5 a.m. to 10 p.m. as long as their plate number isn’t banned for the day. After 10 p.m. no vehicle should be on the streets, except those traveling to authorized places such as the airport, a clinic, work, school or a hotel, among others. The list of exceptions that allow any vehicle to drive at night is on the government website under Vehicle Exceptions.  This week, the driving restrictions apply as follows: · Monday, Aug. 16, plates ending in 1 or 2 are banned. · Tuesday, Aug. 17, plates ending in 3 or 4 are banned. · Wednesday, Aug. 18, plates ending in 5 and 6 are banned. · Thursday, Aug. 19, plates ending in 7 or 8 are banned. · Friday, Aug. 20, plates ending in 9 or 0 are banned. · Saturday, Aug. 21, plates ending in an even number (0, 2, 4, 6 or 8) are banned. · Sunday, Aug. 22, plates ending in an odd number (1, 3, 5, 7 or 9) are banned. Drivers caught disregarding the driving restrictions must pay a fine of about $180. Traffic officers cannot seize the vehicle or its plates, nor can they reduce driver's license points for breaking the rules. A practical solution to avoid driving is to request a ride-hailing service or use public transportation. Drivers should print and keep the ban-on-driving schedule displayed with them at all times. Readers can verify the car plate number restrictions by visiting the government website’s Vehicle Alert. Recently, the Ombudsman Office requested from the Ministry of Health for a report on the technical studies that justify the decision to continue with the driving restrictions. In Costa Rica, the ombudsman service has the role of handling citizens' complaints against government actions. Since the pandemic forced the country into strict lockdown and extreme safety measures, people have complained. According to the Ombudsman, the vaccination campaign must move forward to become more accessible, unlike the way it is now with a daily limited schedule. The organization is also requesting to lift the driving and commercial restrictions in the areas affected by massive floods and thunderstorms in July. Those are the zones where the Presidential Decree of National Emergency is in place. Last week, an online form to support their plan reached 7,000 signatures within five days, according to the Ombudsman statement. Despite the driving restrictions being in place, the virus continues to spread in Costa Rica. According to data provided by the Ministry of Health, as of Friday, there are 72,984 active covid-19 cases in the country. Of the total 428,295 cases detected since last year, there were 5,211 deaths listed as covid-19 related, approximately a 1.2% death rate in Costa Rica.  Vehicle owners whose license plates were seized by traffic officers could recover them through home delivery services provided by Correos de Costa Rica, the state delivery-services company. ------------------------ How do the driving restrictions help stop the virus from spreading in your community? We would like to know your thoughts on this story. Send your comments to news@amcostarica.com  Real Estate For Sale
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