All private businesses that cater to the public must close from midnight to 5 am, no alcohol will be sold during those hours and gatherings of more than 250 are banned. The measures come as the island of 3.3 million reports a more than 30% positivity rate
SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico — Puerto Rico on Tuesday imposed new measures to fight a surge in COVID-19 cases that has overwhelmed medical staff in the U.S. territory and led to temporary shortages of testing kits.
The government has reported more than 201,000 confirmed cases and more than 3,300 deaths. Officials note that a third of all cases reported since the pandemic began have occurred in the past month, with many linked to a two-day outdoor concert held in December. The number of daily cases per 100,000 reported in Puerto Rico rose from three to 225 in just three weeks, according to statistician Rafael Irizarry. More than 500 people are hospitalized.
The increase in cases has caused temporary shortages of home testing kits, with people taking to social media to share places where they've run out or are still available, while some government-run testing sites have closed early after exhausting testing kits for the day. Meanwhile, the Association of Hospitals of Puerto Rico urged people to stop visiting emergency rooms to request tests because the demand was overwhelming and preventing staff from treating urgent cases.
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