News briefs: Costa Rica news highlights to start your Friday

Happy Friday from The Tico Times! Here’s the news you should know as a new day starts in Costa Rica.

****

Costa Rica plans to negotiate with the International Monetary Fund for a loan to ensure economic stability, President Carlos Alvarado told La Nación. The government approached the IMF in September for a $1.75 billion loan, but had stepped away after facing significant internal backlash. Read more here.

Costa Rica officially signed a contract with Pfizer/BioNTech for 3 million doses of its two-dose coronavirus vaccine, President Alvarado said Wednesday. That would be enough for 1.5 million people; Costa Rica is a country of 5 million. The vaccine has been authorized in the United Kingdom and could receive US approval next week.

Unemployment and underemployment remain high. The national unemployment rate is 21.9%, 9.7 percentage points higher than in 2019. Women are disproportionally affected (30% unemployed compared to 16.5% for men). Read more here.

Turrialba Volcano National Park reopens today. It had been closed for eight years due to the threat of eruptions. Tourists should make reservations via the local tour guide organization.

Thursday weather forecast, per the National Meteorological Institute: “Slightly less rainy conditions are expected in the Pacific this Friday. In the morning there will be partial cloudy conditions, with possible isolated rains in the Caribbean. In the afternoon there will be rains and downpours with storms in the Central and South Pacific. A significant decrease in humidity is expected in most of the country, so more isolated precipitations are expected.”

****

We’ll have more news throughout the day, so keep checking The Tico Times home page for more.