The Health Ministry has threatened to cancel the annual October carnival in Limón on the Caribbean coast if the recent spat of dengue fever doesn’t slow down in the next two weeks.
According to a statement from the Ministry, cases would have to drop by 20% to maintain safe conditions for those attending the carnival.
Dengue has made a comeback in Costa Rica this year, with cases almost doubling over the same period last year (TT June 29).
The epidemic began in the northwestern province of Guanacaste in January, and has since swapped coasts to Limón, which has reported more cases of dengue than any other Costa Rican province.
Fumigation efforts and education programs continue in the area, though progress has been limited as heavy rains create more breeding grounds for mosquitoes.
To help combat the problem, the company Bridgestone Firestone of Costa Rica has announced a campaign called “
A Million Waysto Fight Dengue.”
The company is offering a prize of one million colones ($1,925) to the community group, school, development association or private nonprofit group that finds the most ingenious use for old tires and the best method of disposal for them.
The object, according to a statement from the company, is to get old tires off the streets and out of local junkyards, where they serve as prime mosquito breeding grounds.
The projects will be judged based on their creativity, originality and sustainability. The entry period will close Aug. 10, and awards will be announced Oct. 10.
