Costa Rica registers 360 new cases this Friday, July 10 for a total 6,845 confirmed cases, 2110 of these have already recovered. The country registers 26 deaths of Covid-19 positive patients. Currently, there are 128 people hospitalized, 17 of these are in the intensive care unit with ages ranging from 43 and 78 years. President Carlos Alvarado informed during the press conference new restri...

Costa Rica confirmed the highest number of new cases in a single day since the first case was detected in the country four months ago, 649 new cases were confirmed for Thursday, July 9th which brings the total number to 6,485, out of which 2,023 have already recovered. 120 people are currently hospitalized, 14 of them are in the intensive care unit with ages ranging between 43 and 82 years old....

With a total of 5,836 confirmed cases of Covid-19 through July 8th and 25 deaths related to this virus, the number of cases continues to spike. The Costa Rican Government made new announcements in regards to the restart of the school year, reopening of borders and Tourists Visa Extensions. The Ministry of Education informed that schools won’t reopen for class until at least September, which mea...

This Monday July 6th Costa Rica has registered a total of 5,241 confirmed cases of Covid-19. This consists of 2,230 women and 3,011 men, out of which 3,705 are Costa Rican and 1,536 are foreigners. 1,766 people have already recovered. In the last 24 hours, 4 patients that were diagnosed with Covid-19 have died, the latest victims are a 92-year-old woman that was hospitalized since July 4th and ...

Costa Rica's borders will remain officially closed through August 1st. The Juan Santamaria Airport updated the information they have on airlines' operations: AEROMEXICO: operations suspended until further notice. AIR CANADA: will resume operations in September. AIR FRANCE: will resume operations October 14th. AIR PANAMA: operations suspended until further notice. AIR TRANSAT: operations sus...

Marco Paris (57), a popular tour guide from Tibas, toured a group of French tourists for 17 days in March. It almost killed him. He survived for 41 days in the Intensive Care Unit of hospital Mexico, and had to be resuscitated three times after he flat lined. He feels he survived due to excellent medical care, and by the grace of God. He says his story should give hope to all COVID-19 sufferers. ...

Costa Rica is famous for its animal wildlife – but unaccustomed to seeing it in backyards and on small town roads. Experts think the current pandemic has meant fewer people out and about, causing less noise and traffic and making animals feel more comfortable to emerge, even in daylight. Security cameras, trap cameras and people’s cell phones have captured amazing sights. On February 15, a jagu...

This Saturday, July 4th, Costa Rica’s health authorities confirmed 310 new cases of Covid-19 for a total of 4,621 out of which 1,721 are already recovered. Costa Rica also confirmed its 19 death of a Covid-19 positive patient, a young man that was diagnosed post-mortem. According to the authorities he arrived in shock by ambulance at the San Juan de Dios Hospital in San Jose. The case is under ...

By Laura Gutierrez of Immigration Help Costa Rica People sufficiently frightened, lose their ability to think for themselves, and can become overwhelmed. So it is not just these constant changes to resumption of dates for travel and government services that stress us out. Tough decisions must be made about personal logistics in this intrusive state of fear and uncertainty. One foot on the gas. ...

During the press conference held this Thursday, July 2, the Ministry of Health in Costa Rica confirmed 270 new cases, which brings the total to 4,023. Daniel Salas, Minister of Health also confirmed the country has entered the phase of community transmission. Community transmission is when the transmission has reached a point where it is no longer possible to identify the source of origin of th...

The Minister of Health announced that for Wednesday July 1st Costa Rica had the highest daily spike in the number of new cases since the pandemic started back in March 6. 294 new cases in just one day, bringing the total to 3,753. The country also registered its 17th death of a Covid-19 positive patient. 56 people are currently hospitalized and 6 of them in the intensive care unit. Considering ...

The Ministry of Health confirmed the death of another Covid-19 patient this Tuesday June 3oth , an 89-year-old Costa Rican woman, living in San José. She had been diagnosed on June 22 and had remained hospitalized since June 25th. The deceased also suffered from diabetes and high blood pressure. The country also registered the highest number of new cases since the pandemic started with 190 and ...

The Legislative Assembly approved in a first debate this Tuesday, June 30th, a bill that proposes moving the national holidays that fall on the weekend to Monday with the purpose of having long weekend and promoting national tourism. This measure will apply for some holidays starting this year and through 2024 but won’t apply to all holidays in order not to have an impact on the public finances...

Through June 29, Costa Rica has registered 3,269 cases of Covid-19; in this past week the country had the highest new numbers of cases since the first patient was confirmed in the country back in March. The number of deaths in the country is up to 15, and through yesterday Costa Rica also registered its highest number of hospitalized patients: 40, out of which 4 are in the intensive care unit. ...

This Saturday June 27th Costa Rica has registered two more deaths due to Covid-19 Coronavirus bringing the total to 14. During the morning hours the Ministry of Health confirmed the death of a 78 year-old woman, a Costa Rican citizen who lived in Guanacaste who had been hospitalized at the San Juan de Dios Hospital where she remained in the Intensive Care Unit since June 24, which is the same d...

The Ministry of Health in Costa Rica confirmed 152 new cases this Friday, for a total of 2,836 positive cases of Covid-19 of the country, out of which, 1,280 have already recovered, while 36 are hospitalized 6 in the intensive care unit. 26,866 people have tested negative. Pilar Garrido, Minister of Planning, referred to the reopening of economic activities in the country: -Counties and d...

Europe will be reopening its borders to foreign visitors on July 1st, but it looks like the United States will continue to be banned due to the mishandling of the COVID pandemic. What if Costa Rica chooses a similar plan for reopening? The US has the highest number of coronavirus infections and COVID-19 deaths in the world, and the numbers continue to rise daily. Should Americans be allowed into C...

As of June 24th Costa Rica has registered a total of 2,515 cases of COVID-19, out of which 1,210 patients have recovered, 30 people are still hospitalized and 5 are in the intensive care unit. Several counties and districts remain under orange alert, particularly in the northern Costa Rica and the Paquera district, as well as in the counties of Pavas, Alajuelita and Desamparados in San José. In...

The current health crisis has brought many changes in the life, economy, and routine of people, both in Costa Rica and around the world. It has also brought legal changes ranging from driving restrictions on certain days and hours of the week to the banning/limiting operation for bars, hotels, theaters and event centers, among many others. The Government and Congress have taken actions, some where...

WILL COSTA RICAN TOURISM EVER RETURN? On June 12th, the Costa Rican tourism industry wrote an open letter to President Carlos Alvarado urging him to set a date to reopen airports in Costa Rica. It was signed by 900 movers and shakers of the tourism sector. It also asked for financial support for the tourist industry and better communication between Alvarado’s administration and regional tourism...

After canceling the Phase 3 reopening of businesses this past weekend due to the important increase in cases of Covid-19. The Minister of Health, Daniel Salas, stated during the press conference this Monday that the reopening is tentatively scheduled for the upcoming weekend and that at the same time the use of face masks will be mandatory in some services and commerce. The legal instruction an...

University of Costa Rica Launches First Mechanical Ventilator Designed and Made in Costa Rica Doctors from the University of Costa Rica (UCR) have developed the first non-invasive ventilator for patients suffering from COVID-19. Called Fluxus Mask, the device is both a breathing machine and an isolation mask to stop the spread of the coronavirus. It was created out of a growing concern that COVID...

Costa Rica registered the highest number of new cases this Friday with 119 new cases. This situation forced the government to cancel the reopening of commerce that was planned for this weekend. “This puts us in a high risk of heading to an exponential curve, here we all have been doing our share to protect the health (of the population), to give the opportunity to people that can get seriously ...

UPDATED 06/19/20 The Costa Rican Government has SUSPENDED Phase 3 of the Economic reopening due to major spike in cases. The Ministry of Health confirmed this Thursday that as scheduled more businesses will be able to open doors again during the weekend as long as they comply with the sanitary guidelines given in each case. The country enters the third phase of reopening commerce which will...

Environmentalist Ulises Corrales Barrantes hiked into the forest on Saturday, June 13th, in search of seeds from a newly discovered tree in Reserva Dendrobates in Penas Blancas de San Ramon. His body was discovered on Tuesday morning by friends who had mounted a search party after he had not returned home. He was found face down in a ravine, his satchel and notebook at his side. The 39-year old...

Coursera, an online education platform, will team up with Costa Rica over the next 6 months to train 50,000 people in the strategic and technical skills required for Industry 4.0. This initiative is one part of a reskilling and retooling strategy that Costa Rica currently has underway, which defines three main areas for talent development: career management, soft skills, and technical skills. T...

The Costa Rican Government announced that as of this August 1st, digital trans-border services will be charged 13% as corresponds for the value added tax (VAT). The same rule will apply to the purchase of intangible goods by final consumers of VAT contributors to a provider that is located out of Costa Rica and for use or consumption in this country. Digital trans-border services encompass ...

On June 13, 2020, Costa Rica registered 50 new cases of Covid-19 for a total of 1,662 confirmed cases with ages ranging from 0 to 92 and involving 762 women and 900 men; 1247 patients are Costa Rican and 415 are foreigners. 743 of these patients have already recovered while 19 people remain hospitalized, 3 of them in the intensive care unit. 22,144 people have tested negative. The coun...

AR Holdings, member of Promerica Group had already announced in November 2019 their intentions of bringing to Costa Rica the Olive Garden restaurant franchise, the biggest Italian food chain in the United States where it has 850 locations. Despite the Covid-19 pandemic which has impacted many industries, one of them being restaurants, the plans continue except that instead of opening doors in ...

The Ministry of Health in Costa Rica confirmed 77 new Covid-19 cases through this Thursday, June 11, 2020, bringing the total to 1,538 registered cases with ages ranging from 0 to 92 years of age. In total 710 women and 828 men have tested positive, 1,150 are Costa Rican and 388 are foreigners out of the registered 1,538 cases. A large “cluster” of cases are located in the northern zone of C...

During the daily press conference carried out by the health authorities in Costa Rica this Wednesday, June 10, they confirmed 86 new cases of Covid-19 in the country, this is the highest number registered since the virus reached the country. This brings the total number of Covid-19 positive cases to 1,461, out of which 722 are already recovered and 12 have died. 1,146 are Costa Rican citizens w...

The Ministry of Health of Costa Rica confirmed the 12th death in the country of a Covid-19 positive patient. The deceased is a 64-year-old woman resident of San Jose, who had been hospitalized for 70 days and remained in the Intensive Care Unit of the Hospital Mexico in La Uruca. The woman had several underlying conditions that made her a vulnerable patient, she had high blood pressure, diab...

The Ministry of Health in Costa Rica announced the evening of this Monday, June 8th death number 11 related to Covid-19. This time the deceased was a 26-year-old woman, Costa Rican and resident of Alajuela, who apparently did not present any symptoms and whose only risk factor was being asthmatic. The diagnose of Covid-19 was made postmortem. According to the information provided by the Mini...

Canada Ambassador to Costa Rica, Honduras and Nicaragua, James K. Hill slipped and fell of a 13 ft. cliff while hiking through the trails at a tourist center in Rio Cuarto, Alajuela, Costa Rica. The accident occurred at approximately 10:50 a.m. the morning of this Sunday, June 7. Hill was reported stable, however, according to the information provided by the Fire Department’s rescue team, he...

The Ministry of Health registered 55 new cases of Covid-19 in Costa Rica this Sunday June 7th. This brings the total to 1,318 confirmed cases: 613 women and 705 men. 1021 are Costa Rican while 297 are foreigners. Out of the 1,318 cases, 704 people have already recovered. The number of deaths related to the virus remains at 10. There are currently 20 people hospitalized, 4 of them in intensiv...

It has been three months since Costa Rica confirmed the first case of Covid-19 in the country and through June 6th it has registered 1,263 positive cases of coronavirus. The number is made up of 592 women and 671 men out of which 991 are Costa Rican and 272 are foreigners. By age the virus has reached 1,072 adults, 62 senior citizens and 129 minors. Out of the 1,263 cases, 701 have alread...

Costa Rica is listed as one of 13 Best Gay Friendly Countries to Move to, according to International Living. “The same attributes that make a place attractive to any prospective expat—things like warm weather, a low cost of living, natural beauty, sound healthcare, and plenty to do—these come into important play, no matter what. But in this report, we consider a selection of our top-recommended...

PriceSmart announced that it plans to move forward with opening what will be its 46th warehouse club on June 17, 2020 in Liberia, Costa Rica. Sherry S. Bahrambeygui, Chief Executive Officer, commented, "In March 2020, when we first began to appreciate the uncertainties created by the COVID-19 pandemic, we temporarily suspended significant capital expenditures, including additional club developm...

The National Emergency Commission (CNE) in Costa Rica prepares for the effects of the hurricane season while also dealing with the threat of the Covid-19 pandemic. The president of the National Commission for Risk Prevention, Alexander Solis, announced that new guidelines were created for the administration of temporary shelters with the idea of protecting collaborators that handle emergencies ...

Costa Rica registered 52 new cases of Covid-19 for a total 1,157 confirmed cases; this includes 542 women and 615 men; 913 Costa Rican and 244 foreigners. The youngest patient is a 5-day-old premature baby while the oldest patient is an 89 year-old man. 685 patients have already recovered. The number of deaths remains at 10. 21 people are hospitalized, 5 of them in the intensive care unit...