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The appointed Secretary of Health, Carlos Mellado, Regretted on Monday the recent violent incidents with tourists in San Juan and Carolina, while assuring that the agency will continue to ensure that visitors submit a negative molecular virus test upon arrival in Puerto Rico and that, if necessary, they keep quarantine.
He acknowledged that the County’s tourist area in the capital is out of control, so he has said Health had to close and fine businesses operating outside the executive order over the virus.
“This weekend there was a lot of activity where the Department of Health had to intervene with 25 establishments that are already repeat offenders and they had to be closed and even arrested these people because they were failing.”, He assured.
Among the businesses fined in the County was Julius Restaurant, formerly Latin Star, for allegedly allowing people without masks to enter and crowding customers.
“This weekend we intervened in La Perla and the two people we arrested came from the United States and signed saying that they were going to do a PCR and they didn’t. However, they were in La Perla on Friday and The Square without masks and this is what we will be checking on the weekends “, He indicated.
In this regard, the Department of Justice reported that last night filed charges against three tourists who were caught in La Perla when they were supposed to be in quarantine. One of the defendants was arrested and faces a $ 10,000 bail. The other two visitors were reported absent and face a $ 25,000 bail, respectively.
“The rule in Puerto Rico is: mask, distance yourself and get tested when you come. We control cases and people coming from there with the virus and it helps us control cases.”, He pointed out. “We will not allow them to come from outside to break the rules. And the rule is this: the rule is that if you don’t bring negative proof, you have to be in the hotel for 14 days, you can’t be on the street and we will continue to work with that. “.
Meanwhile, he acknowledged the work of the agency’s inspectors, who he says have to deal with aggressive people who “insult and try to assault them” amid the interventions.
Mellado will be part of a meeting today with the police headquarters to establish the plan of the authorities with the intention of dealing with violations of the law by tourists.