As a waiter at La Factoría, a popular bar in Puerto Rico, Celso Melendez Vásquez is in the front row due to the high number of tourists misbehaving in the island’s capital.
Meléndez Vázquez works and lives in the popular tourist area of Old San Juan, and was concerned about all the violent incidents that happened with tourists in the area who refused to comply with the requirements of local masks.
“Sometimes I would go to work thinking, ‘Is this the day I will have a problem with someone? ”
When he left for work, he was met on the streets by a sea of people without masks.
Puerto Rico’s current executive order, enacted on February 8, states that masks must be worn at all times, including outdoors. Curfews on the island also take effect from midnight to 5 am, and businesses can stay open until 11pm.
However, in recent weeks, Melendez Vásquez says the situation has improved due to the increased police presence.
Low-cost flights, cold weather in the United States and boredom due to the COVID-19 lockdown have attracted many American travelers to visit the island’s lands during the peak travel season, which runs from mid-December to mid-March.
In 2021 Puerto Rico had more than 11,911 arriving flights, according to aviation operator Juliett Alpha. About 82% of these trips come from the United States.
Puerto Ricans have expressed concern about travel to the island and contributing to the spread of the Coronavirus that causes COVID-19. The island also witnessed several episodes in which tourists turned violent after they were asked to wear a mask.
In February, tourists reportedly assaulted a woman in a wheelchair after they were asked to wear masks. A video posted on social media showed the women, who are allegedly staying at Airbnb in San Juan, throwing their drinks in the woman’s face and asking her to speak English.
In mid-March, another video showed a violent altercation between guests at the Sheraton Hotel in San Juan, which ended with security guards stopping the fight and the hotel removing the guests from its building.
The San Juan Municipal Police Brigade began implementing a plan on March 15 to reduce aggressive behavior in tourist areas. The plan added more police in popular tourist areas such as Condado, Santorsi and Old San Juan.
According to Rivera Lebron, municipal police officers have arrested 27 people in these tourist areas for drug possession and violent behavior since the plan was implemented. The plan includes the implementation of the police at 11 pm. Business closing rule, as per the current executive order.
The police security plan coincides with the Puerto Rico Tourism Company’s campaign promoting the use of masks and reminding tourists of a curfew from midnight to 5 am.
The campaign is being promoted in popular tourist areas through billboards that also remind tourists of fines for not following the executive order. Individuals who fail to comply with the mask mandate can face a $ 100 fine.
With travelers on spring break, hotel occupancy has nearly reached its maximum. Joaquín Bolivar, president of the Puerto Rico Hotels and Tourism Association, said he expects all rooms to be sold in the Spring Break week.
Puerto Rican Governor Pedro Pierluisi detailed a broader safety plan for spring break. More than 3,500 officers will be stationed in the tourist areas during the week, and the National Guard will have approximately 1,100 active soldiers stationed on the island to implement the Executive Order.
Pierluisi said the government would allocate the necessary resources “to prevent crowds and combat non-compliance with executive orders.”
Travelers arriving in Puerto Rico must show a negative COVID-19 test result not more than 72 hours before the visit. Visitors who do not show a negative test result should be quarantined for a period of 14 days.
In Puerto Rico, the tourism industry accounts for 80,000 jobs and about 6.5% of the island’s total economy.
“At the tourism company, we are committed to the continuous development and promotion of Puerto Rico as a premium tourist destination, in addition to maximizing the international projection that distinguishes it as an ideal destination in which public order prevails,” Carlos Mercado Santiago, President of Puerto Rico Tourism, said in a statement on March 14th.
