The transition phase applies to cantons in orange alert, cantons in yellow alert continue their normal operation. As of September 9, all the cantons will operate under the controlled reopening phase. You can find here the complete list of allowed establishments during the transition and controlled reopening phases.

Transition phase (only cantons in orange alert)

• From August 31 to September 8, a transition closure phase will be applied towards a model of controlled reopening and joint responsibility with municipalities, private sector, and communities.
• During those 9 days, restriction measures are established in the opening of establishments.
• The closure of all establishments with a health permit for the operation of customer service in cantons in orange alert is established, except for the list of exceptions that include supermarkets, hardware stores, home service, vehicle repair, shops, restaurants, beauty salons, among others.
• The operation of individual sports is authorized, outdoors or in closed spaces, without public; contact sports for the training of the highly competitive Men’s and Women’s National Teams; and competitions in the high performance or professional category, behind closed doors and without an audience; and contact sports for individual training without contact or physical approach; all according to the list authorized by the Minister of Sport.
• The hotels will be able to operate throughout the country with a capacity of 100%. In the common areas of these hotels (restaurants, swimming pools, gyms, among others) capacity of 50% must be maintained.
• All the country’s beaches are open from Monday to Sunday until 2:30 p.m.
• The cantons on yellow alert will continue with the process of reopening establishments.

Controlled reopening phase – Shared management model, Costa Rica works and takes care of itself (the whole country)

Establishment regulation

• As of September 9, the controlled opening phase of establishments that have a sanitary operating permit that serve the public begins, from Monday to Friday from 5:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m., and from Saturdays to Sundays from 5:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m., respecting fifty percent (50%) of its maximum capacity.
• The Ministry of Health establishes a series of activities that must be kept closed due to their very high-risk level, such as mass concentration events, bars, casinos, among others. Likewise, there is a list of establishments that can function but with a different capacity, such as places of worship, event halls, cinemas, and theaters.
• The event rooms for business or academic activities may work with a maximum of 75 people (with seating separation measures of at least 1.8 meters, respecting social bubbles, and with lists of attendees with an identification number and contact number). The 75 people do not include the logistics staff of the event. The rest of the activities in event rooms (weddings or baby showers) must be held with a maximum of 30 people.

Shared management model, Costa Rica works and takes care of itself

The co-responsibility model consists of managing the participation of national, regional, cantonal, district, and community actors in their forms of public and private organizations, in the promotion, communication, self-regulation, control, and supervision of the application of protocols and guidelines. Prevention of contagion by COVID-19, in each of the territories, and within the organizational structure of the National Risk Management System (SNGR).

The responsibilities of the actors will be established in each canton and will be validated by the respective Municipal Emergency Committee (CME).

The model will be applied in each of the cantons, taking as a reference the Cantonal Risk Ratio (CRR), which is the product of the analysis of epidemiological indicators, carried out by the Situation Analysis Room of the Emergency Operations Center (COE).

From the level of the RCC, the opening of establishments with a health permit for the operation of attention to the public will be determined, according to the resolutions that the Ministry of Health has for such purposes.

The National Emergency Commission (CNE) and the Municipal Development and Advisory Institute (IFAM) will make available to the Municipal Emergency Committee (CME) and Regional Emergency Committees (CRE) an online platform that allows documenting, systematizing and integrating the actions carried out by canton while a score will be established for the plans included in the platform, which will be weighted at the time of the plan evaluation.

The priority of implementation of the Cantonal Prevention Plans for COVID-19 will be determined by those territories that have the highest RRC.