In March 2020, the Government announced the measure to establish the health vehicle circulation restriction due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Two years later, President Carlos Alvarado announced this past Wednesday the end of this measure as of March 7th.
The President explained that monitoring the data regarding infections and hospitalizations and the progress of vaccination allows them to make this decision. Alvarado said that the restriction is not eliminated all at once, rather during a 15-day margin of decline in infections and hospitalizations. The President added that this measure has been a sacrifice, but that the data reveals that “it has saved lives”
It is not the end of the pandemic
In addition to this measure, the Government provides that from April 1st, businesses, as well as sports, cultural and academic activities, can return to normal, with 100% of their capacity and without the need to use the code QR.
The Minister of Health, Daniel Salas, was emphatic in emphasizing that the relaxation of these measures does not mean that the pandemic is over. “Making this transition to an endemic does not mean that everything is over, there could be outbreaks or epidemic peaks with serious diseases. It cannot also be misunderstood that vaccination is not continued, we make sure that people complete their vaccination schedules, because there may be people who can be seriously ill,” he said.
“We are not putting an end to the measures as a whole, the fact that there is no vehicle restriction does not mean that the pandemic is over, but if we move towards a transition, it is not that a new variant does not come out,” he added.
On remote working
Salas also said that remote working is an option and that, if the profile of the position allows it, should continue to be encouraged in both the public and private sectors, due to the benefits it has produced.
The minister also asked to continue with individual discipline, which includes the protocols of hand washing, distancing and the use of the mask. “Thanks Costa Rica, for the most part, has shown to behave up to the task, the more vaccinated the population will reduce the chances of more risks,” he emphasized.
The executive president of the National Emergency Commission (CNE), Alexander Solís, also recalled that the alerts are not being lifted, but rather a reduction in some of them is being applied.
Mechanisms in place
“If there is a rebound, the mechanisms are in place to be able to act again and even in the face of a change of administration, the new authorities decide how to activate these measures,” he said.
Vaccines
On the subject of vaccines, the Government reiterated that there are already around 9 million applied. Solís commented that the country paid in 2021 $72 million to the Pfizer company, $4 million to AstraZeneca and $7.5 million to the Covax mechanism.
