Puerto Rico to Drop Mask, Occupancy Rules as Covid Cases Fall
Puerto Rico to Drop Mask, Occupancy Rules as Covid Cases Fall
(Bloomberg) -- Two years after adopting some of the strictest Covid-19 measures of any U.S. jurisdiction, Puerto Rico is eliminating most of its restrictions amid falling infection rates and an aggressive vaccine campaign.
Masks will no longer be required outdoors or indoors except in hospitals and at nursing homes, Governor Pedro Pierluisi said during a press conference Monday. In addition, all occupancy restrictions -- including those on restaurants, bars and theaters -- will be dropped. Events of 1,000 people or more, however, will still be required to follow special guidelines.
Visitors from the U.S. mainland will no longer have to fill out a health declaration form upon arrival.
The U.S. territory of 3.3 million took aggressive steps to stop the spread of Covid-19, imposing curfews, shuttering bars and restaurants, and adopting strict masking policies in March, 2020, before most U.S. states.
“We can now say that our health system is not at risk, that the level of contagion is under control,” Pierluisi said Monday. The island also has the highest vaccination rate of any U.S. state or territory, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Health Secretary Carlos Mellado said 83% of the population has been vaccinated, 53% has had a booster shot and that -- between the vaccinated and those who have recovered from Covid-19 --- a full 91% of the population has antibodies to the virus.
Even so, Pierluisi warned that “the pandemic is not over” and that he would reimpose restrictions if officials detect a rise in cases.
The island has a Covid-19 positivity rate of 4.72% -- down from 37% in January -- according to Johns Hopkins University. Puerto Rico has recorded 475,195 cases of the coronavirus and 4,134 deaths due to Covid-19 since the pandemic began.
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