Home Covid-19 Costa Rica’s Covid Passport – Politically Correct?

Costa Rica’s Covid Passport – Politically Correct?

November 11, 2021

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Costa Rica’s Covid Passport Cell Phone QR Code — Photo: https://www.pexels.com/

The timing of the introduction of Costa Rica’s Covid Passport was always going to be an issue for the tourism sector. On the one hand it’s exactly when you need the restrictions (when tourists are flocking in) and on the other it’s the worst time to be potentially restricting their activity (especially foreign tourists as they try and get away from Covid restrictions at home).

The gentle introduction from December 1st 2021 coincides with snowbirds arriving or making their final plans and booking their flights. In addition, the January 8th 2022 “Full Implementation” of the regulations limiting activity for the unvaccinated will coincide with a lot of arrivals.

As a result, the tourist and other business sectors are applying pressure in a concerted effort to have President Carlos Alvarado re-consider the timing of the implementation of the digital “Covid Passport”.

The groups have some support of diputados from all parties in the Legislative Assembly (Congress or Parliament equivalent), as well as presidential candidates in the Costa Rica General elections scheduled for Sunday, 6th February 2022.

As it stands right now, from December 1st, certain businesses wishing to operate at 100% capacity must require customers to show they have been properly vaccinated against Covid-19 via a QR code Health Pass on their cell phone. If they don’t police their customers in this way, then they can only operate at 50% capacity.

However; as of January 8th 2022, that 50% capacity option is removed and all businesses from the list of various types of activity will have to police all customers using their premises no matter what.

With claims that US $2.5 million worth of tourism cancelations have been made already, on top of the almost 400,000 people without work and the increase in informal jobs (under the table), the government of Costa Rica is facing a political dilemma in the last few months of its tenure.

As well as the possible negative effect the new regulations may have on the (tourism) economy, there seems to be issues with the computerized system that is being used to process the applications in time for the December 1st 2021 phase 1 introduction.

These allegations relate to complaints of the non-issuance of a PIN number or the incorrect recording of applicants as non-vaccinated when in fact they are recorded by the EDUS system of the Caja (Health Plan) as vaccinated.

In addition, when the on line procedure for Costa Rica’s Covid Passport was announced, the computer system of the Ministry of Health allegedly crashed as a result of the demand.