While the rest of the world started showing signs of life following the COVID-19 dilemma and began allowing casinos to reopen, Costa Rica decided to take a much more cautious approach. The country started to relaunch commercial activity this past May; however, gambling properties were left out of the mix, pending improvement in the country’s coronavirus fight. Things are finally starting to turn around, though, and Costa Rica will allow casinos to reopen, but things still aren’t ready to return to normal.

According to an announcement by Victoria Hernández, Costa Rica’s Minister of Industry and Commerce, casinos and bars will be allowed to open their doors again beginning this Friday. However, as has been seen elsewhere, the gambling properties will only be allowed to operate at 50% their normal capacity. They won’t be able to offer any promotions or tournaments for the time being, and no liquor will be served. In addition, gaming tables will have to limit the number of people at each table to three, and gaming machines will need to be shuffled around so that there is at least six feet between them.

Upon arriving at a casino, everyone will have their temperature taken in order to be allowed inside. Casinos will have to beef up their sanitation efforts, constantly disinfecting tables, gaming machines, gambling chips and more, and the use of anything other than disposable plates and cutlery won’t be allowed. Hernández explained, “We have been developing the protocols and we have set criteria that are a little more restrictive on the way a restaurant operates.”

The announcement didn’t specifically mention the mandatory use of face masks; however, Costa Rica implemented a requirement for these to be worn in the middle of last month. The country has seen a total of 81,129 cases of COVID-19, of which 1,947 were added to the list between this past Sunday and Monday. Since the outbreak, the country has recorded 987 deaths related to the virus.