Costa Rica was complemented around the World for the manner that it has handled the Coronavirus pandemic. However, the country is currently getting hit with a second wave of cases that complicates the situation for local authorities. As a result, the government has announced a new round of lockdown measures that are further straining the economy.

The government has divided the country into ZONES, depicting the pace at which the virus is spreading. The zone is either Orange or Yellow. Depending on the area, the more stringent the restrictions. The ORANGE area is where the amount of cases and spread is more prevalent.

What is allowed and prohibted in the Orange Alert Areas

The first measure has been to order the Temporary closure of all business establishments that provide services to the Public from Monday July 20 and until Friday, July 31, 2020 inclusive, in total 24 hours.

The only services and business that are allowed to operate are as follows:

1. Home services.
2. Delivery Service.
3. Public institutions in general.
4. Municipalities, District Municipal Councils and Departments, only for the accepting payments and collections with an occupancy capacity of fifty percent (50%).
5. Branches of Correos de Costa Rica for the reception of packages, with a capacity of occupation to fifty percent (50%).
6. Public and private health facilities (clinics, pharmacies, hospitals, laboratories, doctor’s offices, radio diagnostic services, emergency services, opticians, macrobiotics, among others), veterinary clinics, and drugstores
7. Community waste collection services.
8. Supermarkets, suppliers, pulperías and mini-supermarkets, only the parts of the store that sell food, drinks, groceries, cleaning and hygiene supplies, and basic needs, with a capacity of occupation at fifty percent (50%).
9. Bakeries, butchers and greengrocers, with a capacity of occupation at fifty percent (50%).
10. Farmers’ Market, with an occupancy capacity of fifty percent (50%), with strict protocols and a differentiated band for adults over 5:00 hours to 8:30 hours.
11. Establishments for the sale of agricultural and veterinary inputs and animal feed, with an occupancy capacity of fifty percent (50%).
12. Public and private establishments that sell agricultural, livestock, fishing and aquaculture products, such as markets, with a capacity of occupation to fifty percent (50%).
13. Hardware stores, with an occupancy capacity of fifty percent (50%).
14. Locksmiths, with an occupancy capacity of fifty percent (50%).
15. Glass shops, with an occupancy capacity of fifty percent (50%).
16. Rent a car” vehicles.
17. Technical Vehicle Inspection (RTV), with an occupancy capacity of fifty percent (50%).
18. Repair of vehicles, engines, motorcycles, tires, bicycle cycles and workshops, agricultural equipment, machinery and heavy and industrial equipment, with an occupancy capacity of fifty percent (50%).
19. Oil change service to vehicles (Lubricant Centers), with an occupancy capacity of fifty percent (50%).
20. Sale of spare parts, parts and accessories for vehicles, engines, bicycles, agricultural equipment, machinery and heavy and industrial equipment, with a capacity of occupation at fifty percent (50%).
21. Supply and refueling.
22. Hygiene supply establishments, with a capacity of occupation at fifty percent (50%).
23. Laundries, with an occupancy capacity of fifty percent (50%)
24. Public or private banking and financial services, with an occupancy capacity of fifty percent (50%)
25. The sale of lottery and gambling products duly authorized by the Social Protection Board.
26. Funeral homes and/or wake chapels, with an occupancy capacity of fifty percent (50%).
27. Public, private or mixed nurseries under the supervision of the CAI or the MEP.
28. Public and private care centers for vulnerable and dependent persons.
29. Hotels, cabins or accommodation establishments, with an occupancy capacity of fifty percent (50%).
30. Beaches and lakes from Monday to Sunday from 5:00 a.m. to 9:30 a.m., with a distance of 1.8 meters, respecting social bubbles. This access includes non-contact sports activities.
31. Accommodation activities for short stay (motels).
32. Parking lots or public parking.
33. All other establishments with a sanitary permit to operate that do not provide attention to the public in person.

How about the YELLOW Alert areas

There it  is resolved to order the temporary closure businesses or services that cater to the general public from Monday to Friday from 10:00 p.m. to 5:00 a.m. the following day.  On the weekend they must be clsoed completely.

The following can operate from Monday to Sunday without time restrictions:

1. Home services.
2. Rent a car” vehicle rental.
3. Bicycle rental.
4. Fuel supply and refueling.
5. Community waste collection services.
6. Public and private health facilities (clinics, pharmacies, hospitals, laboratories, doctor’s offices, radio diagnostic services, emergency services, opticians, macrobiotics, among others), veterinary clinics and drugstores.
7. Health services in mobile units in compliance with the provisions of Executive Decree No. 41045-S.
8. Public, private or mixed nurseries under the supervision of the CAI or the MEP.
9. Public and private care centers for vulnerable and dependent persons
10. Parking lots or public car parks.
11. Delivery and courier
12. Short stay accommodation activities (motels).
13. Hotels, cabins or accommodation establishments.
14. The sale of lottery and gambling products duly authorized by the Social Protection Board.

The following may  operate from Monday to Sunday without time restrictions, but behind closed doors and with the minimum required staff

1. Closed-door activities of theaters (including the National Theater and the Melico Salazar Popular Theater), churches and municipalities with their municipal council sessions, district councils, commission meetings and other municipal meetings, for the development of virtual transmissions, in strict compliance with the preventive protocols and guidelines issued by the Ministry of Health.
2. High performance contact sports without spectators.

The following may operate from Monday to Sunday without time restrictions, but with a 50% capacity

1. Farmers’ Market
2. Markets, supermarkets, mini-supermarkets, grocery stores, bakeries, butchers, greengrocers and the like.
3. Sale of agricultural, livestock, aquaculture and fishing products.
4. Sale of veterinary and animal feed items
5. Sale of hygiene supplies.
6. Laundries.
7. Hardware stores.
8. Locksmiths.
9. Stained glass shops.
10. Sale of spare parts, parts and accessories for: vehicles, engines, bicycles, agricultural equipment, machinery and heavy and industrial equipment.
11. Repair of vehicles, engines, motorcycles, tires, bicycle cycles and workshops, agricultural equipment, heavy and industrial machinery and equipment.
12. Oil change service to vehicles (Lubricant Centers).
13. Car wash services (Washing).
14. Technical Vehicle Inspection (RTV).
15. Beauty salons, barber shops and beauty salons.
16. Beauty salons for pets (Grooming).
17. Municipal management platforms.
18. Public or private banking and financial services.
19. Activities of centers that attend to customer calls using human operators such as: “call center”.
20. Funeral homes and/or wake chapels.
21. Public service offices with customer service and public institutions in general.
22. National parks according to the list published by MINAE.
23. Animal theme parks, botanical parks or marine parks not involving access to beaches or spas.
24. Swimming pools, restaurants, hotel gyms, cabins or accommodation establishments.
25. All other establishments with a health permit to operate that do not provide services to the public in person.

The following can operate from Monday to Friday from 5 am to 10 pm and from Saturday to Sunday from 5 am to 7 pm

1. Self-service mode for food services to the public, understood as the withdrawal of products over the counter using a vehicle.
2. Take-away mode for food service.
3. Cinemas and theatres with the obligatory use of a mask, with a minimum separation of 1.8 meters between seats, respecting the social bubbles and with electronic ticketing or reservation.
4. The activities, organizations or congregation in places of worship with mandatory use of mask or mask, with a maximum occupancy capacity of 75 people, in this number of people does not include the staff of the place (which must be the minimum), with measures of separation of 1.8 meters respecting the social bubbles.
5. Event rooms for activities of maximum 30 people (with measures of separation of seats of minimum 1.8 meters, respecting the social bubbles and with lists of attendees with card number and contact number). The 30 people must include the logistics staff of the event and guests.

The following can operate from Monday to Friday from 5 am to 10 pm and from Saturday to Sunday from 5 am to 10 pm with a capacity of 50%.

1. Retail sale of new and used motor vehicles.
2. Sports and sports facilities, for the practice of sports and recreational activities without physical or direct contact.
3. Establishments for practicing or training sports without contact.
4. Gyms with appointment scheduling and different hours for people with risk factors.
5. Swimming schools.
6. Restaurants (businesses with a Bar and Restaurant license will only be allowed to operate the restaurant area with an alcoholic beverages dispenser provided they comply with a 50% occupancy capacity).
7. Sodas and Cafeterias.
8. Food places (food trucks, food courts).
9. Stores in general.
10. Department stores.
11. Shopping centers.
12. Museums (with ticket office or electronic reservation).
13. Dance academies without physical contact.
14. Shooting activities (gun ranges).

How About Driving ?

The following are the vehicle restrictions that will apply from July 20-31st.

ORANGE AREA. Vehicles may circulate from Monday through Sunday 5 AM to 5 PM according the license plate schedule set forth below. The YELLOW AREA vehicles may circulate from 5 AM to 10 PM and Saturday and Sunday from 5 AM to 7 PM

• MONDAY 1 and 2
• TUESDAY 3 and 4
• WEDNESDAY 5 and 6
• THURSDAY 7 and 8
• FRIDAY 9 and 10
• SATURDAY 0,2,4,6,8,0
• SUNDAY 1,3,5,7,9

Meanwhile unemployment hits 20%

When will the Airport open ?

I am getting alot of questions asking when the airport will open to restart the tourism industry.  The official date announced by the government was August 1, 2020.  However, the government does indicate that it can change its position depending on the evolution of the pandemic.  The torusim lobby has been pressuring hard for the government to allow tourist to return to Costa Rica.

When they do arrive they will be required to fill out and epidemilogical form.  I am attaching a link to that form for you below.

Epidemiological Form    https://ccss.now.sh/