Department of Health intervenes with concert by “El Puma”

José Luis Rodríguez’s concert “El Puma” was scheduled to begin at 6:00 pm this Sunday at the Coliseum of Puerto Rico José Miguel Agrelot, but a surprise visit from the Department of Health delayed him and about a hour later they were allowing entry to the public.

This newspaper learned that Department of Health personnel showed up without notifying the Colosseum to check that health safety protocols were being complied with.

As part of the inspection, Health was aware that three musicians in the singer’s band had only one of the two doses plus a negative COVID-19 test. This was not accepted by the management represented by Jorge Pérez, so they then consulted the Secretary of Health. Carlos Mellado.

“The delay was due to the fact that there was a difference in interpretation of the Executive Order between the production and us,” the manager noted, then added that the production understood that with the negative test it was enough to being able to enter and play at the event, which was sold only to vaccinated people.

Mellado eventually accepted the negative evidence, but called for greater distancing on the podium, among musicians, and demanded that the seats be redistributed as a distancing event. This started around 5:00 pm and the staff of the Coliseum had to start a new distribution of seats.

The delay caused the row of people with tickets for the main and upper levels to turn around on the left side and also the row for sand spread widely.

Sandra Urbina, a resident of Guaynabo, arrived at the Coliseum at 3:15 p.m. to ensure access to parking for people with disabilities. At 5:00 pm he approached to form the line and the wait seemed “horrible” to him.

“What I had never seen,” he commented. “We have to wait without logical explanations,” he added.

Coliseum employees went out several times to hand out water bottles to people in line.

Perez has reiterated that the Colosseum as the Coca-Cola Music Hall has a comprehensive vaccination policy for everyone, without distinction.

They urgently need to clarify the matter

For its part, the production of the concert of the Venezuelan singer reiterated that there is a discrepancy between the Executive Order and what is established by the guidelines of the Department of Health.

Therefore, they stressed the urgency of clarifying these issues for the benefit of companies and the public.

On the other hand, the executive director of the Convention District Authority, Mariela Vallines Fernández, reacted to the Health intervention stating that “there can be no flexibility to the requirements set out in the executive order.”

“The Convention District Authority reaffirms its commitment to ensuring the health of our employees and the public attending the events held at our facilities. There can be no flexibility in the requirements set forth in the “The order of the El Puma was promoted only by vaccinated and the example begins with the house. It is our duty to ensure a safe environment for everyone, without exception,” said Vallines Fernández through some written statements.