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Costa Rica Chamber of Commerce / Photo by Arturo Rey on Unsplash

Costa Rica Chamber of Commerce Urges Customers to Wear Masks

As COVID-19 case numbers increase in Costa Rica, mask-wearing is about to get more widespread. The Costa Rica Chamber of Commerce now urge customers to their stores cover their faces while shopping.

In a statement on Monday, the Costa Rican Chamber of Commerce urged customers to wear face masks while shopping to help prevent the spread of COVID-19. 

The statement comes a week after mask-wearing became mandatory in various public situations, starting last Saturday. One situation where Health Minister Daniel Salas did not say mask-wearing was mandatory though, was in stores. At least for the customer. Store workers need to wear masks, yes. In fact, anyone who serves the public in any way must mask up. But last week’s government guidelines did not mention customers in stores.

Today’s statement from the Costa Rica Chamber of Commerce changes that. Although not a direct government edict, stores now may well NOT allow people to enter without a face mask.

The Costa Rica Chamber of Commerce represents the supermarkets Auto Mercado, AMPM, Fresh Market, Masxmenos, Maxi Pali, Peri, Walmart, and Pricesmart. It also represents well-known stores Verdugo, Fifco, Monge, and others.

“We emphasize that wearing a mask does not replace the golden rules of social distancing, hygiene protocols, and hand washing,” said the Chamber of Commerce.

This article was rewritten in English and adapted from the original in Spanish by Javier Paniagua in CRHoy on Monday, June 29, 2020.

James Dyde is the editor of www.centralamerica.com. He lives in Escazu, Costa Rica.

James Dyde

James Dyde

James Dyde is a British immigrant to Costa Rica and the editor of this website. He has lived in Central America since 2000 and retains a deep love for the region. He lives in Escazu, Costa Rica.