Government Announced New Restrictions for May
Costa Rica’s government announced new measures to contain COVID cases during May 2021. Stronger measures will apply only in the Central Region, from May 3rd to 9th. This is the complete list of cantons:
San José: San José, Escazú, Desamparados, Aserrí, Mora, Goicoechea, Santa Ana, Alajuelita, Vásquez de Coronado, Tibás, Moravia, Montes de Oca, Curridabat, Puriscal, Tarrazú, Acosta, Turrubares, Dota and León Cortés
Alajuela: Alajuela, Poás, Atenas, Grecia, Sarchí, Palmares, Naranjo, San Ramón and Alfaro Ruíz
Cartago: Cartago, Paraíso, La Unión, Alvarado, Oreamuno, Jiménez, Turrialba and El Guarco
Heredia: Heredia, Barva, Santo Domingo, Santa Bárbara, San Rafael, San Isidro, Belén, Flores and San Pablo
-
The closure of all establishments with a health permit for the operation of customer service is ordered, except for the list of exceptions of essential establishments, which includes supermarkets, pharmacies, medical centers, grocery stores, suppliers, bakeries, butchers, greengrocers, home delivery, agricultural, veterinary and hygiene supplies, banks and funeral homes, hotels and farmer’s fairs.
-
All productive activities and industries can continue to function with the respective compliance with health protocols.
-
Public transport (buses and trains) will be able to function without people standing.
-
Taxis and special services for workers, tourism and students remain enabled.
-
The list of exceptions in force for circulation by letter will be applied (labor mobilization, medical appointments, emergency vehicles, hotels, among others).
-
The vehicle restriction hours are from Monday to Sunday from 9:00 pm
-
Vehicular circulation from 5:00 am to 9:00 pm Except for a list of exceptions, the following do not circulate :
Monday: 1 and 2
Tuesday: 3 and 4
Wednesday: 5 and 6
Thursday: 7 and 8
Friday: 9 and 0
Saturday: 1, 3, 5, 7 and 9
Sunday: 0, 2, 4, 6 and 8
Complete list of establishments authorized to operate in the Central Region from May 3 to 9:
1. Home services.
2. Public institutions in general and municipalities.
3. Public and private educational centers
4. Customer service platforms of public and municipal institutions, with an occupancy capacity of fifty percent (50%).
5. Branches of Correos de Costa Rica for the reception and delivery of parcels, with an occupancy capacity of fifty percent (50%).
6. Courier and parcel delivery branches, with an occupancy capacity of fifty percent (50%).
7. Public and private health establishments (clinics, pharmacies, hospitals, laboratories, doctor’s offices, radiodiagnosis services, emergency services, optical, macrobiotics, among others), veterinary clinics and drugstores.
8. Health services in mobile units complying with the provisions of Executive Decree No. 41045-S.
9. Community garbage collection services.
10. Supermarkets, suppliers, grocery stores and mini-supermarkets, with an occupancy capacity of fifty percent (50%).
11. Bakeries, butchers and greengrocers, with an occupancy capacity of fifty percent (50%).
12. Farmer’s fairs, with an occupancy capacity of fifty percent (50%).
13. Establishments for the sale of agricultural, veterinary and animal feed supplies, with an occupancy capacity of fifty percent (50%).
14. Establishments where there is commercialization of agricultural, livestock, fishing and aquaculture products, florists, markets, with an occupancy capacity of fifty percent (50%).
15. Hardware stores and sale of construction materials, with an occupancy capacity of fifty percent (50%).
16. Locksmiths, with an occupancy capacity of fifty percent (50%).
17. Stained glass windows, with an occupancy capacity of fifty percent (50%).
18. Vehicle rental “rent a car”.
19. Vehicle Technical Review (RTV), with an occupancy capacity of fifty percent (50%).
20. Repair of vehicles, engines in general, motorcycles, tires, cycles and bicycle workshops, agricultural equipment, machinery and heavy and industrial equipment, with an occupation capacity of fifty percent (50%).
21. Vehicle oil change service (Lubricentros), with a fifty percent (50%) occupancy capacity.
22. Sale of spare parts, parts, pieces and accessories for vehicles, engines in general, bicycles, agricultural equipment, machinery and heavy and industrial equipment, with an occupation capacity of fifty percent (50%).
23. Car wash services (Lavacar).
24. Supply and supply of fuels.
25. Hygiene supply establishments, with an occupancy capacity of fifty percent (50%).
26. Laundries, with an occupancy capacity of fifty percent (50%).
27. Public or private banking and financial services, in financial or non-financial entities, with an occupancy capacity of fifty percent (50%).
28. The sale of lotteries and gambling products duly authorized by the Social Protection Board.
29. Funeral homes and / or vigil chapels, with an occupancy capacity of fifty percent (50%).
30. Public, private or mixed nurseries supervised by the MEP.
31. Public and private care centers for people in vulnerable and dependent conditions.
32. Hotels, cabins or accommodation establishments.
33. Swimming pools, restaurants and gyms (common areas) within hotels, cabins or accommodation establishments, with an occupancy capacity of fifty percent (50%).
34. Accommodation activities for short stays (motels).
35. Parking lots or public parking lots.
36. Activities behind closed doors without public in theaters (including the National Theater and the Melico Salazar Popular Theater), churches, municipalities with their municipal council sessions, district councils, committee meetings and other municipal meetings, as well as any other space closed for the development of virtual transmissions, with strict compliance with the preventive protocols and guidelines issued by the Ministry of Health and with the minimum required personnel.
37. Activities of agents dedicated to the sale of live animals (livestock auctions), with an occupancy capacity of fifty percent (50%).
38. National parks, according to the list published by MINAE, with an occupancy capacity of fifty percent (50%).
39. Shops within national and international airport terminals, with an occupancy capacity of fifty percent (50%)
40. Public self-service mode, understood as the withdrawal of products remaining inside the vehicle.
41. Mode of withdrawal of food in take-out establishment.
42. All those other establishments with a sanitary operating permit that do not provide attendance to the public in person.
Applicable measures outside the Central Region (May 3-9)
-
The rest of the country remains in the opening that they have to date, with operation of the establishments of attention to the public, vehicle restriction until 9:00 pm and even and odd plates on weekends.
Measures applicable throughout the country
-
For the entire country, as of May 3, the closure sanction for those establishments that fail to comply with health protocols is extended to 15 days. In the case of repeat offenders, the closure will be 30 days.
-
Likewise, all public institutions in the country must maximize teleworking measures, under a basic plan for the operation of face-to-face activities that does not exceed 20% of face-to-face personnel. They must take the respective measures to guarantee the operation of those face-to-face public service offices in the regions.
From Monday, May 10 to Monday, May 31
Measures applicable throughout the country
-
The entire country will continue with a vehicle restriction from Monday to Sunday until 9:00 pm, and even and odd plates on weekends.
-
The restriction of plates during the week is extended in the GAM. Except for a list of exceptions, they do not circulate :
Monday: 1 and 2
Tuesday: 3 and 4
Wednesday: 5 and 6
Thursday: 7 and 8
Friday: 9 and 0
-
Vehicles that require to be transferred strictly on the occasion of a reservation to an artistic and cultural activity in face-to-face mode or self-event carried out in a place with a health operating permit, with the corresponding proof of purchase or reservation are incorporated into the list of restriction exceptions; as well as the mobilizations of students at Night, Public and Private Educational Centers, with the respective voucher.
