 It is estimated that the first phase of opening borders will be allowing flights with a limited list of countries. / Juan Santamarķa International Airport courtesy photo |
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 Published Thursday, July 23, 2020 The
government will announce today
opening borders strategy By the A.M. Costa Rica staff At a press conference, the Minister of Health, Daniel Salas, confirmed that during the regular covid-19 report that will be carried out this afternoon, he will release the details of the border opening strategy, which is set to open August 1. The government declared a national state of emergency due to the covid-19 crisis and ordered the closure of all borders, including maritime, land and air since March. The decree allows only Costa Ricans and foreign residents to enter the country. It is expected that the strategy that will be published in a few hours includes the health guidelines, the way in which foreigners will gradually be allowed to enter, the exit rules to nationals and foreigners residents, as well as the listed countries where it will be allowed to exchange flights. It is estimated that the first phase of opening borders will be allowing flights with a limited list of countries, as well as defining whether flights can continue on a regular basis in the two international airports with the most traffic in the country, Juan Santamarķa in Alajuela Province and Daniel Oduber in Guanacaste Province. According to Aeris, the company in charge of the administration of the international airport of Juan Santamarķa, the sanitary guidelines in airports are already in practice. Among the guidelines, passengers will be asked to use mandatory face masks and measure the body temperature previously entering the airport. Only the passenger should be accessed to enter the airport. Some infrastructure improvements are the thermal cameras that will be used to detect the temperature of the passengers, floor marks to manage social distance, sanitation stations to passengers, airline crews and airport employees, among others. Currently, only the Juan Santamarķa International Airport maintains a limited level of operations, exclusive to humanitarian flights. According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, since the government ordered the closure of all borders, 5,921 passengers, including Costa Ricans and resident foreigners, have returned to the country. The most recent arrival was a flight on Wednesday of Air France with 11 Costa Ricans coming from France, Belgium, Egypt, China and Congo. All passengers received a mandatory health order that requires them to be quarantined in isolation inside their homes for 14 days, the ministry said. Those who dismiss the isolation order will be fined $794. ------------------------ Is Costa Rica on the list to travel in your country border openings strategy? We would like to know your thoughts on this story. Send your comments to news@amcostarica.com |
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