The Government of Costa Rica will announce on Monday, May 11, the plan to gradually re-engage  economic activities and begin the road back to “normalcy”. “We will reopen economic activities subject to a strict surveillance of sanitary protocols. We will extend the vehicular restriction first. We will open for national tourism, hotels, national parks, commerce, restaurants, theaters and movie th...

The Ministry of Public Security announced that current border restrictions prohibiting foreigners from entering Costa Rica have been extended through June 15, only Costa Ricans will be able to enter the country. As we have informed in previous articles, tourists who entered the country after December 17 have been granted an extension of stay until July 17, driving privileges have also been exte...

Two months have passed since the first case of Covid-19 was confirmed in Costa Rica. As of May 6th the country reports 761 confirmed cases out of which 428 have already recovered. 9,412 people have tested negative. Six patients have died and as of today 18 people are hospitalized out of which five are in the intensive care unit. Daniel Salas, Minister of Health, referred today to the strategy t...

Through May 4th the number of patients positive with Covid-19 in Costa Rica was of 742 according to the update provided by the Ministry of Health. 339 people are now recovered, however, 17 remain hospitalized and 5 of them in the intensive care unit. The Minister of Health, Daniel Salas, insisted that the population cannot let the guard down, even though the curve of transmissions has been s...

This Saturday May 2nd The Costa Rican firefighters needed to battle the largest fire in the past ten years, a storage facility belonging the company Empaques Santa Ana located in El Coyol, Alajuela that started burning this afternoon. The 22,400 square meter (241,111 square ft.) facility was entirely entirely and required the presence of over 100 firefighters and 17 units that continued to batt...

Costa Rican authorities seized a shipment of cocaine that was thrown into the ocean. The operation was carried out Friday May 1st as part of a joint patrolling between the Costa Rican and the USA coast guard services 72 nautical miles south of Quepos in the province of Puntarenas. In total the authorities confiscated 433 packages of cocaine with an approximate weight of 1 kilogram with a street...

The Ministry of Health confirmed during the daily press conference this Saturday, May 2, a total of 735 cases of Covi-19 positive patients. This number includes 351 women and 382 men, 657 are Costa Rican while 76 are foreigners. There are positive cases in 62 out of the 82 counties in the 7 provinces. By age there are 655 adults, 38 senior citizens and 40 minors A total 8,932 people have tes...

Through April 29 Costa Rica registers 713 confirmed cases of coronavirus, 340 women and 373 men; 642 are Costa Rican while 71 foreigners. The health authorities have discarded 8,980 people, while 323 have already recovered with Six having passed away. However, the number of Covid-19 positive patients of Costa Rican nationality that have died in the United States is of 16. The number was c...

PRESS RELEASE The U.S. Embassy in San Jose and the U.S. State Department have coordinated with United Airlines to offer additional commercial repatriation flights from Juan Santamaria Airport (SJO) in San Jose, Costa Rica to Houston, Texas (IAH) on Monday May 4, Friday May 8, Monday May 11, and Friday May 15. The flights will depart SJO at 12:00 pm and arrive at IAH at 4:46 pm. This flight is o...

The Government of the United States of America made official, through the Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR), that Costa Rica has been removed from the list the countries over which the Office maintains surveillance regarding the protection of intellectual property rights. This is stated in the Office’s Special 301 Report, which the United States issues every year to assess re...

The Clodomiro Picado Institute of the University of Costa Rica created its first test lot with plasma on patients that have NOT had Covid-19, which helps verify its line of productions to process the plasma of Covid-19 convalescent patients. What this means is that the Institute now is completely prepared to receive the plasma from Covid-19 convalescent patients when the Social Security Service...

As of Monday, April 27 the number of positive cases of Covid-19 in Costa Rica is 697 cases, that includes 334 women and 363 men, out of which 628 are Costa Rican and 69 are foreigners. 8,305 people have been discarded. The number of deaths in the country remains at 6. 16 people remain hospitalized 8 of them in intensive care with ages ranging between 45 and 87 years. The government also announ...

The Ministry of Health registered 686 confirmed cases of Covid-19 in Costa Rica, the number includes 328 woman and 358 men, 619 are Costa Rican and 67 are foreigners, by age, 617 are adults, 35 are senior adults and 34 are minors. 8,032 people have tested negative, 196 are registered as recovered and 6 people have passed away. 13 patients remain hospitalized out of which 8 remain in intensive c...

Currently, countries around the world are competing to acquire reagents and laboratory kits to diagnose the virus that causes the COVID-19 disease. Faced with this scenario, public institutions, private companies, and the United Nations have undertaken to validate an alternative protocol to identify the presence of the SARS-CoV-2 virus (Covid-19). The study carried out in Costa Rica seeks to ad...

In an effort to combat the repercussions generated in the labor sector due to the COVID-19 health emergency, the Costa Rican Investment Promotion Agency (CINDE) has designed a virtual platform to bring together all current job offerings available at multinational companies. To date, more than 950 positions are available. This initiative is part of a joint agreement, since February 2019, betwee...

The health authorities of Costa Rica announced today that the total of positive cases of Covid-19 in the country is up to 662 cases, only two new cases since Sunday. The total includes 317 women and 345 men, 606 Costa Rican and 56 foreigners. Unfortunately, a sixth patient passed away this Monday, the deceased was a 54 year-old man that had several underlying health conditions such as diabetes ...

The Minister of Health of Costa Rica confirmed a total 660 positive for Covid-19, 317 women and 343 men, 604 Costa Rican and 56 foreigners. Fourteen patients remain in intensive care. The death of a fifth patient was also informed the afternoon of this Sunday, April 19; the deceased was a 69-year-old Costa Rican man from San José who was diagnosed March 25 and remained in intensive care since Mar...

The Rincon de la Vieja Volcano located in Guanacaste, Costa Rica registered a moderate eruption Sunday April 19th at 10:16 a.m. with a column of gas that reached 1,500 meters (4,921 feet) above the crater. According to the report by the National Emergency Commission (CNE) the explosion was hydrothermal and as a product of the same materials such as mud, rocks, sediments, where ejected from the ...

It is no secret that in Costa Rica the tourism sector took the biggest impact from Covid-19 pandemic; the numbers shared by the Costa Rican Tourism Board (ICT) reflect this reality, for the month of March the country registered only 127,201 international arrivals, a considerable downfall from March 2019 when this number was 276,036. The difference of -51.4% is just the beginning, the month of ...

This Wed April 15th Costa Rica registered its fourth death to Covid-19, this time, the deceased was an 84-year-old man who was in the intensive care unit of the San Juan de Dios Hospital in San José. The senior citizen had been hospitalized since April 1st and had high blood pressure as an underlying condition. The three previous deaths were two 87-year-old men that both had previous underly...

Costa Rica begins the week with a total of 612 confirmed cases of Covid-19, 295 women and 317 men; 569 Costa Rican and 43 foreigners. There are positive cases in 59 counties of the seven provinces througout the country. According to the information given by the Ministry of Health, there are 20 patients hospitalized, 14 of which remain in the intensive care unit. On a positive note, 62 peo...

Costa Rica has 577 cases of Covid-19 confirmed as of Saturday March 11th, the government has announced it will be placing additional restrictions on vehicular traffic until April 30. Beginning on April 13, there will be a complete nighttime restriction from 7 p.m. to 5 a.m. every day. When it comes to daytime restrictions, during the weekdays the restriction will be from 5 a.m. and 7 p.m., v...

The General Directorate of Migration (Immigration) established through Executive Decree 42256-MGP-S the temporary measures that are in place through April 30th to prevent the effects and spread of Covid-19 pandemic. According to Laura Gutierrez of Immigration help Costa Rica measures listed in the Executive Decree apply to foreigners who have: Permanent Residency; Special Categories; Non-Residents...

As of Friday, April 10th the Ministry of Health in Costa Rica has confirmed a total 558 positive cases of Covid-19, 269 of the patients are women while 289 are men; 524 are Costa Rican and 34 foreigners. So far 42 patients have recovered while 20 are hospitalized and 13 of them are in intensive care. The country has registered three deaths so far, 2 senior citizens both 87 years of age and a 45...

The afternoon of Wednesday, April 8, Costa Rica’s Ministry of Health confirmed the third death of a patient with coronavirus. The deceased was a 45 year-old man from San José, he had NO underlying health problems of any sort and got the virus from a trip to the United States, the last 10 days he had been in the intensive care unit of the San Juan de Dios Hospital. “We are saddened by the passin...

The Ministry of Health reported some positive news with the recovery of 24 patients diagnosed with Covid-19 in Costa Rica. The total number of Covid-19 positive patients is of 483 only 16 more than the day before. In total there are 237 women and 246 men diagnosed with the illness, 34 are foreign citizens. 25 people remain hospitalized out of which 14 are in intensive care with ages ranging ...

The Ministry of Health and Social Security Service (CCSS) created the guidelines to follow in the handling of bodies of patients that have passed away and have been confirmed positive for Covid-19. Even though there are no conclusive studies to determine the real risk of transmission of a dead body, the bodies of patients that have passed away for Covid-19 could constitute a biological risk an...

The Ministry of Health in Costa Rica confirmed 467 cases of COVID-19 in the country with the provinces of San Jose and Alajuela grouping 75% of the positive cases. In total there are 227 women and 240 men who have tested positive, 435 of the patients are Costa Rican and 32 are foreigners; 422 are adults, 29 are senior citizens and 16 are minors. 26 people are currently hospitalized and 14 rema...

Costa Rica has now confirmed 416 cases of COVID-19 in the country. The Minister of Health, Daniel Salas, showed his concern over the increase in the number of patients that are now hospitalized and those in intensive care, through this Friday, April 3 the health authorities report 23 patients in the hospital and 13 in intensive care these last ones have ages between 24 and 69. “Beyond the nu...

On April 1st The Ministry of Health confirmed to The Star that 375 patients have tested positive for coronavirus, this number includes 181 women and 194 men out of which 347 are Costa Rican and 29 are foreigners; 337 are adult, 24 are senior citizens and 14 minors. In total 15 people are currently hospitalized and 9 in intensive care with ages ranging from 36 to 69 years. With the Holy Week ...

Costa Rica has now confirmed 347 cases of COVID-19 in the country, and also announced the full recovery of another patient bringing the total to four. In total 160 women and 170 men have been diagnosed with Covid-19, 303 are Costa Rican while 27 are foreigners. Positive cases are confirmed in 52 counties of the seven countries, by age the patients include 293 adults, 24 seniors, and 13 minor...

(Photo: Archive) The week in Costa Rica closes with 314 positive cases of coronavirus, but it seems that there is a large part of the population that is still taking the situation lightly, turning a blind eye on what is currently happening in Costa Rica and the consequences of the virus in other countries. The streets still look very busy, not just with those people that are forced to leave ...

US Embassy Costa Rica: "Costa Rica has now confirmed 314 cases of COVID-19 in the country. We urge all U.S. citizens who wish to depart Costa Rica to do so now. U.S. citizens who remain in Costa Rica should be prepared to remain in Costa Rica for an indefinite period. Delta Airlines is planning one flight per day until March 31, but then plans to suspend operations until May 2. The previously p...

The Social Security Service (C.C.S.S.) received a donation of protection equipment from the United States Embassy. Roman Macaya, executive director of the C.C.S.S. said the donated items will be used by the workers that are providing direct attention to the sanitary emergency caused by Covid-19. “We received disposable medical gowns and gloves for the protection of our workers who are in the...

The number of patients positive with coronavirus in Costa Rica went up to 295 on Saturday, March 28th, according to information provided by the Ministry of Health, 15 patients are hospitalized, 6 of them in intensive care. “With great pain and concern we have 15 people hospitalized, 6 of them in intensive care. This is not a game. The responsibility of the deaths that this emergency brings is a...

The Costa Rican government announced this Friday a plan to offer a benefit of 200 thousand colones, approximately $347.00 USD, a month to families affected financially by the crisis caused by Covid-19, this includes people that have been laid off or have had their income reduced. Part of the funds will come from an extraordinary budget, reassigning funds, and by maintaining the fuel price in m...

This Friday March 27th the Ministry of Health reported 32 new cases of coronavirus in Costa Rica bringing the total number of cases to 263. The patients include 121 men, 142 women; 241 Costa Ricans and 20 foreigners. Nine people remain hospitalized and 5 of them with age between 36 and 66 years remain in intensive care A third patient has been discharged; seven more are still being tested th...

UPDATED 3/27/20 Source: US Embassy San Jose "Costa Rica has now announced 263 cases of COVID-19 in the country. As messaged previously, we urge all U.S. citizens who wish to depart Costa Rica to do so now. U.S. citizens who remain in Costa Rica should be prepared to remain in Costa Rica for an indefinite period. For the latest list on the very limited flights into/out of San Jose and Liberia...

The last update by the Ministry of Health in Costa Rica reported 231 positive cases of coronavirus as of this Thursday, March 26. 101 women, 130 men; 204 adults, 19 senior citizens and 8 minors; 18 foreigners and 209 Costa Rican citizens, these is the most recent information provided by health authorities who also confirmed there are cases in 43 counties. The Minister of Health, Daniel Sal...

The latest update given by the Ministry of Health in Costa Rica confirmed 201 patients tested positive with coronavirus. In total 1,684 people have tested negative. 117 of the patients are men and 84 are women; 183 are Costa Rican and 18 foreigners; 117 adults, 17 senior citizens and 7 minors. Currently the cases are in 39 counties, with Alajuela reporting the majority of cases, 36, while San J...