COVID-19 Pandemic in Costa Rica- San Isidro de El General.

First, I want to emphasize that neither my wife Christine nor I are medical professionals, and we are certainly not qualified to make any statements on the state of the Covid-19 pandemic in Costa Rica, or anywhere else for that matter. We are just sharing our personal experience in San Isidro de El General during a month-long visit in April, 2021.

Both of us were fully vaccinated against Covid-19 in February, and after a bit of research we decided that we could safely visit San Isidro as long as we wore masks in public places and practiced social distancing. After a month visit, we both agree that we felt as safe from Covid-19 in San Isidro as we would have at home in Oregon. Everyone we saw in enclosed public places like markets, buses, etc. were wearing masks and practicing social distancing. At no time did we see anyone indulging in risky behaviors, and it seemed to us that everyone understood how important it was to comply with regulations from the ministry of health. We think the changes we saw at the local farmers market are a good example of this.

San Isidro hosts one of the largest open-air farmers markets we have ever seen, and in years past, it was a busy, crowded place with lots of vendors selling an incredible variety of fruits, vegetables, and an array of artisanal products. On our first visit this April, it was obvious to us that numerous changes were made in response to the pandemic. First of all, the number of vendors was much smaller, which resulted in wider aisles and reduced crowding. Before we were allowed to enter the market, our temperature was measured, and we had to sanitize our hands and put on our masks.

Because of the measures Costa Rica has taken we felt very safe while we were there, and

we would not hesitate to return to San Isidro de El General tomorrow if we could. In fact, we will be visiting Costa Rica for an extended period this fall.

Bob & Christine Madar-Corvallis Oregón. Julio-2021.