Saturday August 8th Costa Rica has registered 721 new Covid-19 cases for a total 22,802 confirmed patients out of which 7,589 have already recovered.

360 people are hospitalized, 80 of them in the intensive care unit. 228 deaths are reported in relation to the pandemic in the country.

The government announced adjustments on the restrictions and sanitary measures that had already been announced for August, this in response to the requests and pressure from local governments in counties under orange alert ( Primarily in Escazu and Santa Ana) that are concerned over the economic effects this is having on the population and the country in general.

The phase of closure remains as scheduled from August 10 through August 21 during this phase the updated restrictions are as follows:

All establishments are allowed to operate during “closure phase” both in counties located in yellow alert and those in orange alert can now work in a schedule from 5:00 a.m. through 9:00 p.m. Monday through Friday and from 5 a.m. to 7 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays.
In counties under orange alert all commercial establishments that were announced as restricted ( Bars, Casinos etc) will have to remain closed, with the exception including now ONLY during weekdays of: restaurants, coffee shops, food courts, stores and department stores, beauty parlors (working by appointment only), and supermarkets without limitation of sections and maintaining a 50% of their maximum capacity. The weekend of August 15 (Mothers day) and 16 all these must remain closed.
When it comes to vehicular transit restriction during this period, August 10-21 the dynamic will remain the same as it had been announced at the beginning of the month, transit is restricted by plate number: (So basically they are allowing business to now be open longer house then at any point since March but driving restrictions are limited to 2 days per week….Yep we are thinking what you are.

Counties under Orange Alert:

Plates ending on 1 & 2 can only transit Monday
Plates ending on 3 & 4 can only transit Tuesday
Plates ending on 5 & 6 can only transit Wednesday
Plates ending on 7 & 8 can only transit Thursday
Plates ending on 9 & 0 can only transit Friday

Saturdays: plates ending on odd numbers can transit
Sundays: plates ending on even numbers can transit

** The new schedule goes from 5:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. during weekdays and from 5:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. during weekends for the whole country**

Counties under yellow alert will apply the restriction as it has been so far, in other words:

Plates ending on 1 & 2 CANNOT transit Monday
Plates ending on 3 & 4 CANNOT transit Tuesday
Plates ending on 5 & 6 CANNOT transit Wednesday
Plates ending on 7 & 8 CANNOT transit Thursday
Plates ending on 9 & 0 CANNOT transit Friday

Saturdays: plates ending on odd numbers can transit
Sundays: plates ending on even numbers can transit

The Minister of Health, Daniel Salas, insisted on the importance of using a facemask in public places maintain sanitary measures and trying to limit mobilization when possible.