Gyms, pools and athletic centers closed in Costa Rica

The Ministry of Health on Wednesday added gyms, pools and athletic centers to the list of establishments in Costa Rica that must remain closed due to the coronavirus pandemic.

They join most mass gathering activities, many public meeting spaces and any business that cannot guarantee social distancing of at least 1.4 meters (about 4.5 feet) as establishments ordered closed until further notice.

Specifically, the Health Ministry is now shuttering:

Pools, spas and swimming schools.
Gyms (fitness, bodybuilding and general gym facilities).
Contact activities/sports (e.g. Judo, Karate, Wrestling, Taekwondo).

“The suspensions are based on the determination that the activity promotes the emergence of a very high number of simultaneous transmission chains that can occur in a short period of time,” the Health Ministry said.

Beginning Thursday, Costa Rica is not allowing foreign tourists to enter the country. In-school learning has also been suspended through at least mid-April.

Mass gathering events — such as concerts, sporting events and festivals — cannot be rescheduled before September 2020, according to the Health Ministry. Any mass gathering event scheduled for September should prepare to cap attendance at 50% capacity.

Costa Rica has 69 known cases of COVID-19. On Wednesday afternoon, an 87-year-old man became the first person to die due to the coronavirus.

Read the Health Ministry’s guidelines here.