Surfing Costa Rica - People with a reservation will be able to travel to the hotel from an orange alert zone, only on weekends.

The new restrictive measures announced by the government this Friday following the increase in daily COVID-19 cases also change the way hotel reservations operate as an exception to the health-related vehicle restriction.

Until Friday, July 10, any hotel reservation was a valid means of proving exemption from the restriction in case of being stopped by a traffic police officer; however, that will change starting tomorrow, Saturday, July 11.

Those with a reservation can travel to their hotel from an orange alert zone only on weekends, specifically Saturdays or Sundays. However, to return from a hotel to an orange alert zone, a reservation with a clear departure date can be used as an exception to the daytime vehicle restriction, also from Monday to Friday.

If you need to move from a yellow alert location to a yellow alert hotel, you can do so any day of the week during the daytime restriction, as the reservation also serves as an exception.

Violating the health-related vehicle restriction will result in a fine of 107,000 colones, 6 points on your license, and the removal of your vehicle's license plates.

Also note that hotels located in areas under orange alert have stricter restrictions on operating during this new phase.

From Monday to Friday, only those establishments providing lodging services to public administration officials or public service providers (banking, cash transport, communications, electricity) or those working in the distribution of goods, food and essential items, medicines, agricultural or veterinary supplies will be allowed to operate. Conversely, they may open on Saturdays and Sundays, even in orange alert zones, but at 50% capacity.

Author's note: News updated at 7:12 p.m. on July 10, 2020, following the publication of resolution MS-DM-6105-2020 , which states that hotels in orange alert zones may open on Saturdays and Sundays, with an occupancy capacity of fifty percent (50%); and updated at 5:42 p.m. on July 11, 2020 , after the Government authorized the use of reservations as an exception to the vehicle restriction from yellow zone to orange zone, solely for returning from the hotel.

Note courtesy of Delfino.com