Governor Wanda Vázquez Garced explained that the curfew imposed today forces citizens to stay at home 24 hours a day from today at 9:00 p.m. until March 30, except for emergency procedures or purchases of basic necessities, among other limited actions.
At a time when the 5th positive case of coronavirus COVID-19 in the country was confirmed, Vázquez Garced resorted to imposing restrictions on the free flow of people on the streets and the agglomeration of individuals in the country.
“All citizens living in Puerto Rico have to be at home 24/7, it is a total‘ lockdown ’,” the president explained in an interview with this newspaper and to explain the measure that seeks to stop the spread of the coronavirus.
In an executive order published today, it was detailed that people will only be able to leave their homes from 5:00 a.m. at 9:00 p.m. to buy food, go to pharmacies, financial institutions or gas stations; going to medical appointments, hospitals, laboratories or medical service centers; go to or return from workplaces that are not required to close; and to provide assistance, care or transportation to older adults, minors, people with disabilities.
After 9:00 p.m., only people who have emergencies may be on the street.
People may not be on the streets for any other management. Going to beaches or bodies of water will not be allowed, nor will it be allowed to go to parks or open areas to do exercises, said the governor.
“It is a ‘lockdown’ that all Puerto Rican citizens have as of today. Citizens have a space so they can go to pharmacies, to gas stations … That space is from 5:00 a.m. at 9:00 p.m., ”he noted. “No one can leave your property for 14 days. That is the way in which we are going to be able to control the development of this virus in the population and prevent it from turning into a crisis, ”he added.
The curfew is accompanied by a partial closure of shops starting today at 6:00 p.m. until March 30, with the exception of establishments dedicated to the sale of food, wholesale distribution, sale of medical equipment, pharmacies, supermarkets, gas stations, banking institutions and those related to the food distribution chain, drugs, articles medical or fuel.
Given this, private educational institutions, government agencies that do not fulfill essential services, municipal offices and businesses such as shopping centers or hardware stores will not be able to open.
In the public sector, only police, emergency medical personnel or those who are the first line of emergency response, activated members of the National Guard, employees of ports and airports, essential employees of the Department of Health and the Department of Health will be working. Family, and the employees of school canteens of the Department of Education that provide food for refugees, detailed the governor.
The curfew does not apply to employees of public or private security agencies at the state or federal level, health professionals, personnel who work in hospitals, pharmacies, pharmaceutical companies, bioscience facilities or health centers, personnel who are working in the wholesale distribution chain and the manufacturing of goods and food, personnel who work in critical infrastructure, call centers, port and airport personnel, members of the press, or those citizens who have emergency situations.
“These employees will be authorized to transit on public roads on the way to work and return home at the time that is necessary,” the executive order reads.
Citizens who fail to comply with the executive order are subject to a fine not to exceed $ 5,000 or a sentence of confinement of no more than six months.
Vázquez Garced maintained that, for the moment, no additional orders will be issued to police or members of the National Guard to enforce the executive order.
“I understand that it should not be necessary to resort to that alternative. The most important thing is that people stay in their homes 24/7, “added the president.
