We all thought 2020 was going to be our year – but a global pandemic thought otherwise. It’s already been a whirlwind of a year so far, and it’s only March. Sigh. As the world slowly figures out what the next days, weeks and months will hold for us – I wanted to share a little insight on Puerto Rico, and what’s been happening during this time.
On March 12th, the Governor of Puerto Rico urged and recommended citizens to stay home, highlighting the importance and significance of the threat of the COV-19 Virus – apparently, no one listened. On March 15th, in response to the lack of initiative of the people, the Governor made the decision to declare a State of Emergency across the island (to read the full declaration [OE-2020-023], click here).
“Failure to comply with the provisions contained in this Emergency Executive Order by any person and/or business shall result in the implementation of criminal penalties and fines as provided by all applicable laws, as well as Act No. 20-2017, as amended, which established a term of imprisonment not to exceed six (6) months or a fine not exceeding five (5) thousand dollars, or both penalties…”
Yep. You read that right. Up to a $5000 fine, and/or possible jail time for not obeying the Executive Order. What does the Executive Order say we have to do? Well, basically, to stay home.
A few other things to highlight:
- Curfew: 5:00am – 9:00pm, lasting until March 30th, 2020
- You can only travel during curfew on public roads, and only for essential services and basic needs (full list in attached document below)
- All businesses are to close starting March 15th, 2020 at 6:00pm, until March 30th, 2020 unless otherwise provided; except food retail or wholesale businesses providing services through drive-thru, carry-out, or delivery only
- Total closure shall apply to shopping centers, movie theaters, dance clubs, concert halls, theaters, game or gambling rooms, casinos, amusement parks, gyms, bars, or any similar place or event that may promote the gathering of a group of citizens in the same place
What does all this mean? Essentially we need to be in our homes 24hrs/day, and only allowed to leave our homes to buy food, or get medicine or money from the bank, until March 30th, 2020. So, here we are, under full lockdown in Puerto Rico. Which leads me to my next topic: What to Do While Under a Lockdown (click to read full article).
