With only five cases confirmed as of this morning on the island, Puerto Rico has put an island-wide issues management plan in place as a preventative measure to avoid mass spread of COVID-19 throughout the island.
“Given the Island’s resilience and experience with major disasters and expediting quick recoveries for economic turnaround, like it did from 2017’s Hurricane Maria to having a record-breaking year in tourism in 2019, island leaders know that getting ahead and making quick impactful decisions like these are critical to pushing forward to get back on track when the crisis is behind us,” Discover Puerto Rico said in a statement.
Some of the measures Governor Wanda Vázquez Garced placed over the weekend include:
- Establishing an island-wide curfew effective immediately from 9 p.m. to 5 a.m., through March 31; the only exceptions are those who are working or in cases of emergency.
- Enhanced health screenings of all passengers upon arrival into San Juan’s Luis Muñoz Marín International Airport, which consists of a brief temperature check, with further screening at the airport, if necessary
- Promoting social distancing by suspending all large events on the Island until March 31, which is in accordance with the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s guidance for large events and mass gatherings that recommends organizers cancel or postpone in-person events that consist of 50 people or more throughout the U.S.
- All non-essential businesses, including theaters, malls, casinos, bars, attractions, gyms and “any place that promotes the gathering of citizens in one place” will be closed effective immediately
- Supermarkets, pharmacies, gas stations and other essential businesses like restaurants that offer takeout or delivery will only be open through 6 p.m.
- Taxis and Ubers will only work from 5 a.m. to 9 p.m., with the exception of those servicing the airports.
“While this may disrupt current tourism activity on the Island through end of month, we feel keeping our visitors and residents safe is our number one priority right now,” Discover Puerto Rico adds.
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