No menu items!

COSTA RICA'S LEADING ENGLISH LANGUAGE NEWSPAPER

HomeNewsCosta RicaLawmakers petition to delay Costa Rica vaccine QR code

Lawmakers petition to delay Costa Rica vaccine QR code

A letter to President Carlos Alvarado signed by 27 lawmakers asks the leader to delay Costa Rica’s upcoming vaccine mandate, citing the potential impact on the tourism sector as the high season approaches.

Starting January 8, 2022, Costa Rica will obligate nearly everyone ages 12 and older to demonstrate proof of vaccination against Covid-19 in order to enter most businesses and to participate in adventure tourism activities. The deputies recommended that the mandate instead have a start date of May 1, 2022.

“We consider it extremely unfortunate that the Government of the Republic is not making decisions based on the need to reactivate the economy, and support the sectors that have been most affected by the Covid-19 pandemic,” reads the letter, in part, as cited by La Nación.

Prominent members of the tourism sector have also pushed for the mandate to be pushed back until after the 2021-22 tourism high season.

Most prominent is the Costa Rica Tourism Chamber (CANATUR), which says Costa Rica’s upcoming vaccine mandates could have a “devastating and irreversible effect on tourism activity.”

CANATUR said more than 58% of businesses surveyed reported having received cancellations related to the vaccine requirements, which take effect January 8, 2022.

“Cancellations are already a reality, and inevitably, more will come,” said Rubén Acón, CANATUR president.

“We cannot fail to notice how difficult this will be for companies in the sector. It will bring down the high season, the dream of an entire sector that longed for and expected to have this recovery period without further difficulties, but, on the contrary, the Government announces a measure that threatens it.”

CANATUR said it was in favor of a vaccine mandate if it were enforced after the tourism high season, and it said it would also support a promotional campaign to encourage Costa Ricans to get vaccinated.

About 2.8 million Costa Ricans are fully vaccinated, representing two-thirds of the target population. And most Ticos support a vaccine mandate, per a recent national survey from the University of Costa Rica.

Trending Now

Costa Rica Maintains Economic Stability Amid Global Tensions

Costa Rica is holding steady economically despite global tensions sparked by conflicts involving Israel, the United States, and Iran, according to Federico Quesada Chaves,...

Costa Rica’s Pride 2025 Closing Event Bans Minors, Sparks Outrage

Costa Rica’s Pride 2025 closing event, set for June 29 at San José’s Plaza de la Democracia, was thrown into controversy when the government...

Costa Rica’s Top Court Bans President Chaves from 2026 Election Campaign

Costa Rica’s Supreme Electoral Tribunal on Thursday barred President Rodrigo Chaves from participating in the 2026 election campaign, ruling that he "illegitimately used" his...

El Salvador Slams Paris Fashion Show Inspired by Cecot Mega-Prison Inmates

The president of El Salvador, Nayib Bukele, joked on Saturday that he could send inmates from his mega-prison to France, after they were represented...

Costa Rica’s Rare Birds at Risk as Human Activity Threatens Extinction

Costa Rica’s bare-necked umbrellabird, a striking black bird with a red throat pouch and crest, is in trouble. A new study in Nature Ecology...

Hondurans March to Mark 2009 Coup as Election Battle Heats Up

Thousands of government supporters marched Saturday in the capital of Honduras to commemorate the anniversary of the 2009 coup that ousted then-leftist President Manuel...
spot_img
Costa Rica Tours
Costa Rica Coffee Maker Chorreador
Costa Rica Coffee Maker Chorreador
Costa Rica Travel Insurance
Costa Rica Rocking Chait
Costa Rica Travel

Latest News from Costa Rica