Mini supermarkets and liquor stores in the canton of Carrillo must close at 9 p.m. from Monday, May 3 to Sunday, May 16. After 9 p.m., they can offer delivery service until midnight.
This was decided on Thursday, April 29 by the Municipality of Carrillo in a meeting with the Ministry of Health, the Public Force and the Municipal Emergency Committee, explained the head of the Municipal Treasury, Katherine Mourelo.
The authorities took into account the orange alert status of the canton, the increase in positive cases of people with COVID-19 and the crowds that tend to gather outside of these establishments.
The Ministry of Health for the canton hasn’t identified the epidemiological nexus of 64% of the new cases in the canton, the municipality specified in the resolution.
“When a restaurant or bar closes at 9 o’clock at night, who keeps supplying the liquor are the mini-super and liquor stores, so what we face is that crowds gather in parks and in front of the liquor stores,” said Mourelo.
We want to make it clear that we don’t want to limit the sale of liquor but rather that people can drink, buy their food and order it delivered to them,” she added.
The current health measures for the entire country include closing businesses at 9 p.m. However, mini supermarkets and liquor stores are on the list of essential services.
“Mini supermarkets have 60% groceries and 40% liquors, so in case of an emergency after 9 o’clock at night, they are the ones who supply the part corresponding to food,” Mourelo explained.
Authorities from the Public Force, the Ministry of Health and the local government will visit the businesses this weekend to notify them of the resolution. “We will approach them to notify them and urge them to raise awareness so that we can join forces,” Mourelo said.
Stores that don’t comply with the measure will be closed down for three days and, if they repeat the offense, the sanction will be for one month.
From Monday, May 3 to Sunday, May 16, the local government will also close recreation sites such as playgrounds, soccer fields and plazas.
Local Measures
The Costa Rican government will implement business closures for non-essential services from Monday, May 3 to Sunday, May 9, but only in the country’s Central Valley.
However, given the increase in cases nationwide, several local governments in the province implemented local health measures and are urging people to get vaccinated and adhere to protocols.
The Municipality of Santa Cruz suspended the Matapalo and Brasilito craft fairs. Nicoya closed the sports center until further notice and the Municipality of Tilarán is asking residents there to use alternative ways to pay taxes, mainly to avoid going to the offices.
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