Puerto Rico will reopen beaches, marinas and swimming pools, eliminate Sunday closure and also shorten a coverage shutdown that has been in place since the coronavirus pandemic began controlling the number of COVID-19 cases, it announced. Tuesday. the new governor of the island, Pedro Pierluisi.
The president stressed that the sale and consumption of alcohol will be banned on beaches and other places and that the social distance between people who are not relatives must be respected, in addition to the fact that large groups of people will not be allowed to meet.
In the meantime, the new cover instruction will take place between 23:00 and 5:00, and the use of masks is still mandatory.
Pierluisi said the new measures will be implemented on January 8 and will be in force for 30 days, but can be changed at any time if there is an increase in cases.
The announcement was celebrated by many on the island who have long sought to visit beaches in the United States that have been closed, except for exercise.
“It’s the quality of life,” Pierluisi said.
He also ordered the local Treasury Department to use federal funds and create financial incentives to help tens of thousands of small and medium-sized businesses that have been hit hard by the March closures.
The island of 3.2 million people reported over 127,000 confirmed and probable cases of COVID-19 and over 1,200 deaths.
Pierluisi left some measures implemented by former governor Wanda Vázquez, such as closing bars and limiting the number of people in gyms, restaurants and other places.
“Our goal must be to be able to return to a new normal,” Pierluisi said. “As far as possible, we must continue to take preventive measures.”
Meanwhile, the island’s health experts have begun receiving the second dose of coronavirus vaccine.
So far, 60,000 people have been vaccinated and this number is expected to increase to 90,000 by the end of the week. Among those who will be inoculated soon are teachers, and Pierluisi said that face-to-face classes will be resumed gradually in March.
Carlos Mellado, Puerto Rico’s health secretary, said he expects 40,000 doses of the vaccine to reach the island each week.
On the other hand, authorities reported an outbreak in a prison in the northern city of Bayamón, in which 140 detainees tested positive for coronavirus. Almost all are asymptomatic, but two have been hospitalized.
Authorities said the outbreak began when a prison officer with COVID-19 came in contact with five detainees.