Tougher border zone restrictions with Nicaragua as covid-19 cases increase

Published Thursday, June 4, 2020

Tougher border zone restrictions with
Nicaragua as covid-19 cases increase

By the A.M. Costa Rica staff

Government ordered stricter restrictions in the border zone with Nicaragua on Wednesday, declaring an Orange Alert. The goal is to contain the transmission of covid-19 that has been increasing in these communities, said the government in its statement.

The restrictions are applied in the Districts of Las Juntas in Abangares, Peñas Blancas, Bebedero and Cañas, all in Guanacaste Province. In addition to the Cariari area in Pococí District in Limón Province.

Note that restrictions may vary between weekdays and weekends.

A ban on driving will be enforced beginning today, Thursday, June 4th. It is expected to last for the next two weeks.

• On weekdays, the ban is from Monday to Friday, from 5:00 p.m. until 5 a.m. the next day.

• On weekends, the ban on driving applies to all vehicles. They won't be able to circulate at all. There is an exception for people who have to drive to supermarkets, pharmacies, grocery stores, suppliers, clinics or hospitals.

During the weekends, drivers must comply with the restriction rule based on the last number of the vehicle plate, 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.

Concerning inter-cantonal highways, driving is allowed only on the following roads:

• Route 1, known as Autopista General Cañas, between San José and Alajuela Province.

• Route 142, which connects the cantons between Cañas, Tilarán, La Fortuna, and Upala.

• Commercial businesses such as restaurants, shops, supermarkets, clinics, pharmacies, vehicle repair shops, banks, etc, can only open to the public from Monday to Friday from 5:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

• On weekends, only supermarkets, pharmacies, mini-supermarkets, and clinics may open to the public.

Authorities will be moderating the situation in regards to the evolution of the covid-19 in those areas during the new restrictions period. This way they can evaluate how to proceed in other parts of the country.

This is the second measure this week officials apply to the border zone with Nicaragua.

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

A ban on driving is enforced daily, Monday to Sunday, from 5:00 p.m. to 5:00 a.m of the next day in the cantons of 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 a.m. to 7:00 p.m., 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 nationwide ban is applied to all vehicles, as they should not be on the road from 7:00 p.m. to 5:00 a.m.

The border closure will continue until June 30.

Daniel Salas, Minister of Health, said that as part of the facts 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.

Because there are some points on the borderline which allow unauthorized entry of foreigners into the country, we cannot properly control the spread of covid-19 in the area, according to Michael Soto, Minister of Security.

"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."

The health ministry reported on Wednesday afternoon 462 active cases, which are those who currently have the virus.

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

• Of the 1,157 infected since the first case was detected in March, 685 coronavirus patients have fully recovered. That is equal to 59% 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.

• 21 patients are being treated in public hospitals, where 16 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.

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

• 19,037 people have been ruled out.

• 27,882 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 this morning, the pandemic has killed 386,392 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