Costa Rica: Authorities ease entry requirements for Central American countries from October 15 /update 13

Event

Costa Rican authorities announced on Thursday, October 8, that foreign nationals from all Central American countries will be permitted to enter Costa Rica from Thursday, October 15. Those traveling from El Salvador, Belize, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, and Panama are required to fill out a Health Pass form, present a negative coronavirus disease (COVID-19) PCR test taken within 72 hours upon arrival, and provide proof of travel insurance that would cover COVID-19 related costs.

Additionally, beaches will be reopened to the public from 05:00 to 22:00 (local time) on Mondays through Fridays, and from 05:00 to 20:00 Friday through Sunday as of 15 October.

As of October 1, those arriving from Mexico and Jamaica have been permitted to enter Costa Rica, as well as residents from the US states of California and Ohio.

As of Monday, October 12, there have been 87,439 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Costa Rica with 1076 associated fatalities. Further international spread of the virus is to be expected in the near term.

Context

The first case of COVID-19 was reported on December 31 and the source of the outbreak has been linked to a wet market in Wuhan (Hubei province, China). Since then, human-to-human transmission of the virus has been confirmed.

Cases of the virus have been confirmed in numerous countries and territories worldwide. On March 11, the World Health Organization (WHO) declared the global outbreak a pandemic. Virus-screening and quarantining measures are being implemented at airports worldwide, as well as extensive travel restrictions.

The most common symptoms of COVID-19 are fever, dry cough, and tiredness. Some patients may experience other symptoms such as body pains, nasal congestion, headache, conjunctivitis, sore throat, diarrhoea, loss of taste or smell or a rash on skin or discoloration of fingers or toes. These symptoms (in most cases mild) appear gradually. Generally, most patients (around 80 percent) recover from the disease without being hospitalized.

Advice

Measures adopted by local authorities evolve quickly and are usually effective immediately. Depending on the evolution of the outbreak in other countries, authorities are likely to modify, at very short notice, the list of countries whose travelers are subject to border control measures or entry restrictions upon their arrival to the territory in question. It is advised to postpone non-essential travel due to the risk that travelers may be refused entry or be subject to quarantine upon their arrival or during their stay. To reduce the risk of COVID-19 transmission, travelers are advised to abide by the following measures:

• Frequently clean hands by applying an alcohol-based hand rub or washing with soap and water.
• When coughing and sneezing, cover mouth and nose with a flexed elbow or tissue; if used, throw the tissue away immediately and wash hands.
• If experiencing a fever, cough, and difficulty breathing, seek medical care urgently and share your previous travel history with your health care provider.