Puerto Rico will reopen beaches, marinas and ponds, eliminate Sunday confinement, and also shorten a curfew that has been in place since the coronavirus pandemic began to control the number of COVID-19 cases, it announced Tuesday the new governor of the island, Pedro Pierluisi Urrutia.
The president noted that the sale and consumption of alcohol will be prohibited on beaches and other places, and that social distancing between people who are not relatives should be respected, and that large groups of people will not be allowed. meet.
Meanwhile, the new curfew will be from 11pm to 5am, and the use of masks is still mandatory.
Pierluisi said the new measures will be implemented on Jan. 8 and will be in place for 30 days, but can be changed at any time if there is a rebound in cases.
The announcement was made by many on the island who have long sought to visit the beaches of U.S. territory that have been closed, except for exercise.
“It’s quality of life,” Pierluisi commented.
He also ordered the local Treasury Department to use federal funds and create economic incentives to help tens of thousands of small and medium-sized businesses that have been severely affected by the closures that have been in place since March.
The island of 3.2 million people has reported more than 127,000 confirmed and probable cases of COVID-19, and more than 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 should be to be able to return to a new normalcy,” Pierluisi noted. “As far as this is possible, we must continue to take preventive measures.”
Meanwhile, health experts on the island began receiving the second dose of the coronavirus vaccine.
So far, 60,000 people have been vaccinated and this figure 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 face-to-face classes will resume in March gradually.
Carlos Mellado, Puerto Rico’s secretary of health, said he expects 40,000 doses of the vaccine to reach the island each week.
Authorities also reported an outbreak at a prison in the northern city of Bayamón, in which 140 inmates tested positive for coronavirus. Almost all are asymptomatic, but two have been hospitalized.
Authorities said the outbreak began when a prison officer who had COVID-19 came in contact with five inmates.