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with lack of vaccines By the A.M. Costa Rica staff
With no official vaccine for swine flu, Costa Ricans and expats are turning to non-standard protections. Among these are religious candles, certain foods and something called colloidal silver. These are in addition to surgical masks and the usual procedures of washing hands, avoiding sick individuals and not mixing with crowds. María Luisa Ávila Agüero, the health minister, spent hours with the Consejo de Gobierno, the president's cabinet, Wednesday. Afterwards she said her ministry was seeking an additional $5 million in funds for overtime, immediate purchases and for potential problems. President Óscar Arias Sánchez cautioned retailers against raising prices on medicines and other flu-related products. "These are not the moments to seek profits but to put yourself at the service of the people of Costa Rica," he said. At the international level, the The World Health Organization raised the swine flu pandemic alert level to phase 5 — just one step below the highest level. The decision comes as the number of countries with confirmed cases rose to at least 10. Margaret Chan, World Health Organization director-general, said the alert level was stepped up because influenza viruses are unpredictable and can spread quickly around the world. "This change to a higher phase of alert is a signal to governments, to ministries of health and other ministries, to the pharmaceutical industry and the business community that certain actions should now be undertaken with increased urgency, and at an accelerated pace," said Dr. Chan. The increase to level 5 indicates that there is sustained human-to-human transmission in communities in different geographical locations. Dr. Chan said all countries should immediately activate their pandemic preparedness plans and countries should remain on high alert for unusual outbreaks of influenza-like illness and severe pneumonia. "The biggest question, right now, is this: how severe will the pandemic be, especially now at the start?," she said. The decision late Wednesday from the Geneva-based body comes the same day as Germany and Austria announced their first confirmed cases of swine flu, raising the total number of countries affected to 10. They include Mexico, the United States, Britain, Canada, Costa Rica, Israel, Spain and New Zealand. While Australia, France, Denmark and South Korea are investigating possible cases within their borders. Many of the infected persons had recently visited Mexico, which is the epicenter of the outbreak. More than 100 cases are being studied in Costa Rica, officials said, even though the confirmed cases of swine flu are just two cases. Both individuals had been to México. The situation is ready made for alternative therapies. Suggestions range from drinking a lot of alcohol to drinking water with tiny bits of silver in suspension. Both processes are not considered effective by the medical establishment. There also are herbal remedies and religious ones that are being put forward in the absence of any vaccines. At border México struggles with effects of flu uncertainty By the A.M. Costa Rica wire services
As authorities in México struggle to contain the spread of the swine flu, there are concerns about the economic impact of the virus on a country where a large part of the population lives in poverty. There are fears that tourism and cross-border trade might also be affected. U.S. Customs and Border Protection inspectors in El Paso, Texas, are giving more scrutiny to people entering the United States on foot and in vehicles. William Molaski, El Paso port director, says officers are trying to identify people who might be infected with the swine flu virus. "Basically, we have our officers on the line, they are observing the traveler. If they appear to have symptoms or if they express that they have symptoms, we will immediately isolate them," he said. If someone is detained because they appear ill, a medical expert from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention comes to the scene to check them and, if necessary, send them back over the border. So far, there have been no cases detected at the border. But the idea that traffic could be impeded by the spread of swine flu worries U.S. and Mexican officials. Every day, thousands of people on foot and in vehicles go back and forth across the border here, and millions of dollars worth of products cross the line in trucks and railroad cars. Last year, U.S.-Mexico cross-border trade amounted to $293 billion. Even a slowdown at the border would have a major impact on both countries. Mexico's General Consul in El Paso, Roberto Rodríguez Hernández, says both countries are working together to deal with the swine flu emergency, without disrupting border commerce. "The first thing that we began to do is begin encounters between the Mexican health authorities and the American health authorities in order that they might interchange information regarding the situation in México. The main objective of being in contact is to provide information to the public," he said. The outbreak of swine flu in México comes at a time when the country is already struggling with the effects of the worldwide economic recession and some loss of tourism caused by drug violence in cities like Juárez. Because of the flu, Carnival Cruise lines has suspended stops in Mexican ports. A few countries, including Cuba and Argentina, have suspended airline flights to México and many Americans are canceling vacations at Mexican beach resorts. Rodriguez warns that Mexico's economy is at risk. "We are going to be suffering with less resources coming from the industry of tourism. At the same time, the economy itself in Mexico is going to be affected because nobody is attending classes. The restaurants are closed, the bars. Every entertainment is closed," he said. On the streets of Juárez, the impact is dramatic. Traffic is minimal and many stores are shuttered. Because bars, restaurants and night clubs have been closed by the state government as a precautionary measure, people who have money have few places to spend it. Restaurant and night club owners, and employees have been protesting the closure of their workplaces outside of government offices, arguing that the measures taken to prevent the spread of the virus are depriving them of their livelihood. There have been similar complaints in other parts of the country. A restaurant association in Mexico City says the closure of businesses there is costing the city $57 million a day. But while some Mexicans view the swine flu crisis with skepticism, others are reacting with near panic. In Juarez, people with flu-like symptoms have formed long lines outside of some clinics and hospitals, even though there have been no confirmed cases of swine flu here. Although face masks, which have become a common sight in Mexico City, are worn by only a few people on the streets of Juarez, pharmacies say they are doing a brisk business selling them. One newspaper vendor is one of the people wearing a mask. He says he has worn it for two days and figures it must be working because he has not come down with the flu. But he admits that he takes it off now and then when it becomes uncomfortable. Nearby, soldiers guarding a street corner wear surgical masks issued to them by their commanders. For any tourists who do cross the bridge into México, the heavily armed men in blue masks are among the first sights they see.
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| A.M. Costa Rica third newspage |
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Judge terminates conditional
liberty for suspect in drug case
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By the A.M. Costa Rica staff
The arguments of the prosecutors prevailed Tuesday, and drug smuggling suspect Ricardo Alem León went back to jail for four months of preventative detention. Another judge had released the man on the condition he post 100 million colons in bail. That's about $176,000, and Alem did so by posting property as security. The release April 14 was a surprise because prosecutors and observers of the case suspected that Alem would flee. That idea found weight in the discovery at the time of his August arrest of a false Costa Rican passport and a fake driver's license bearing his photo but in the name of another person. The prosecutors used these facts as evidence in a hearing Tuesday before Gustavo Jiménez in the Tribunal Penal del Segundo Circuito in San José. According to the Poder Judicial, prosecutors also argued that Alem was adjudged inclined toward crime in a psychological and psychiatric profile done in 2006 while he was serving a term for money laundering. They also noted |
that 30 kilos of cocaine were found
in the storage area
of one of this companies, RICAL S.A. and that he is the person
responsible for the operation of the firm. His defense lawyer argued that Alem rented the storage area to someone else. Alem was handcuffed after the judge made a ruling reversing the previous order of conditional liberty. He had been arrested in August and spent time in prison until mid-April. In addition to the conviction for money laundering in Costa Rica, Alem did time in a U.S. prison for conspiracy to possess and distribute cocaine. Two other person were detained at the same time in August. They remain in prison. Agents are trying to link this group to some 130 kilos of cocaine confiscated at the Nicaraguan border last year. There was controversy in mid-April when another judge moved to release Alem. The action took place just as the courts were closing for the Semana Santa vacation, and prosecutors had to move quickly to prevent his immediate release and schedule a hearing. |
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Expotur generates $80 million
in income, organizers say
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By the A.M. Costa Rica staff
Expotur, the tourism marketplace that is scheduled in two weeks, brings $80 million into the country each year, organizers say. The tourism marketplace unites tourism operators, mostly from Costa Rica, with tourism wholesalers from all over the world. The organizers, the Asociación Costarricenses de Profesionales en Turismo, released an accounting of the success of the event after a press conference Wednesday. Expotur has created a network of some 986 tourism |
distributors in 51 countries around
the world, the
association said. The association said that 100 wholesalers bring some 70,000 tourists to the country. That is where the $80 million figure originates, by estimating the spending and duration of the stays for these tourists. The association figured $100 a day in expenses and a stay of just under 10 days. The tourists also leave some $5.5 million in taxes and $1.1 million in airport exit taxes in the country, the association said. The 25th edition of Expotur begins officially May 13 and runs through May 16 and the last day with the tourism exhibits being open to the public. |
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Playa Manzanillo has its blue
flag restored after hotel solves sewage problem
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By the A.M. Costa Rica staff
Occidental Hotels & Resorts reports that the Hotel Allegro Papagayo has built a new sewage treatment plant and now has won a blue flag showing ecological excellence. This is the Pacific coast hotel that was closed down by the Ministerio de Salud because the sewer system was contaminating the gulf. That happened in February, 2008, and the hotel was allowed to reopen on a restricted schedule. However, the pollution was enough to cost Playa Manzanillo its blue flag, which is a program set up in part by the Instituto Costarricense de Acueductos y Alcantarillados, the water company. |
The hotel first got in trouble when
neighbors complained that sewer
tankers were making continual runs to the area's overloaded treatment
plant. Then there was the allegation that sewage was going directly
into
the gulf. The hotel owner faced trial in the Tribunal Ambiental Administrativo of the Ministerio de Ambiente, Energía y Telecomunicaciones and haggled over a fine. But now all seems well, said the company in a release. Employees worked almost a whole year to solve the problem, it said. There was a social event at the hotel Tuesday recognizing the restoration of the blue flag or bandera azul Ecológica as it is called in Spanish. The hotel also said that its staff was working to restore some mangroves. |
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Two suggestions from our readers to improve Costa Rica
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| Put schoolkids to work cleaning up the trash Dear A.M. Costa Rica: I've said it several times and I'll say it again. The answer to the epidemic of trash in Costa Rica (A.M. Costa Rica April 28) is a no-brainer but no one in the government seems interested in implementing it. It goes like this: All school children from grade one through university must spend one hour a week picking up trash. The easy jobs for the little kids and the rivers for the big guys. Guaranteed that within one month the kids will be screaming at their parents to stop polluting this beautiful country . . . and the kids will stop throwing trash out also. Within one year this place will truly be the showcase of Central America and the slogan of the tourism institute, "Costa Rica ± All Natural Ingredients" will become reality instead of just false hype. Dick Burgoon
Alajuela
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Take some responsibility and plan for the future Dear A.M. Costa Rica: I understand why people blame flu or crisis as the reason for less tourists and a downfall in tourism. It is always easy to blame something outside yourself as the main reason for a painful thing. It also creates people who are victim of that outside reason. "I can't help it, it is the . . . flu/crisis/earthquake who does this mean thing to me, : is something I hear a lot these days. And then those same people talk to each other how bad everything is. Of course the others agree and within no time everyone agrees on the reason and start to look for the one who is responsible for the solution. The government, the WHO, the specialist, the . . . . Again, everyone except the person himself. The effect is that nothing is done and everyone waits and looks for some one to put the blame on. Wake up!! This is the best period to start repairing things that are broken, wrong or incorrect. Within two to three years tourism is back in business. Get ready to receive those tourist in a good way! Think now about what those tourist will look like, what they expect, where they want to go and how you are going to fulfil their needs! Costa Rica needs to refocus again! The "eco" brand we used for years has no real meaning anymore. Everything is "eco." Every country uses the "eco" brand. Or we really focus on the real ECO and tell them how we do it and show it (prove it!!)! Or we move to something we can prove! I hope A.M. Costa Rica will support the initiatives to make Costa Rica a better place instead of only focusing on the bad things with some more positive articles. Take a look at the future instead of blaming and complaining about now!
Maarten Oosterhoff
Uvita, Puntarenas |
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Lawmakers to work hard
to pass measures today By the A.M. Costa Rica staff
Today is the end of the so-called extraordinary session of the Asamblea Legislativa. Lawmakers will be working hard to pass legislation that has been served up by the executive branch. Among these are a revised immigration bill and some bills designed to fight crime. The session is extraordinary because it is not authorized by the Costa Rican Constitution. Instead, lawmakers were called to convene by the executive branch. The Constitution says the legislature can meet on its own initiative for six months, from May 1 to the end of July and from Sept. 1 to Nov. 30. The legislature generally meets all year round now because members can be called to work by the executive branch. During these periods the executive branch sets the agenda. Friday is May 1, the start of a new regular session, and lawmakers will be electing its leaders. Most will remain the same, according to reports from Casa Presidencial. Gunman leads foot chase through downtown's heart By the A.M. Costa Rica staff
A police chase, punctuated by gunfire, through the heart of the San José downtown resulted in the arrest of a robbery suspect Wednesday. The robbery took place at a supermarket north of the central post office. The bandit got the drop on a guard and demanded money and then fled. When he was confronted a short time later by police, the robber fired shots in their direction. A suspect, identified by the last names of Enríquez Córdoba finally was arrested not far from the Corte Suprema de la Justicia, said the Fuerza Pública. Police said they confiscated a .38-caliber handgun. El Ángel to be inaugurated By the A.M. Costa Rica staff
A sure sign of recovery: The El Ángel food processing factory will be inaugurated today, an official recognition that there has been substantial recovery from the Jan. 8 earthquake. The plant is a major employer in the Chinchona area that was hit hard by the quake. The firm began producing again in February. |
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| Latin
American news digest |
Raúl
Castro rejects gestures to win approval from U.S. By the A.M. Costa Rica wire services
Cuban President Raúl Castro says his country does not need to make any gestures as it pursues better relations with the United States. The Cuban leader said Wednesday he is still willing to talk about all issues and that it was up to the U.S. to make the next move. He also complained about the long-standing U.S. embargo of the island nation. Earlier this month, U.S. President Barack Obama eased restrictions on travel and money transfers by Cuban-Americans to family in Cuba, but left the embargo in place. He has said it is up to Cuba to take the next step. A senior U.S. diplomat met with a Cuban official in Washington for the second time in as many weeks Monday for exploratory talks on improving the historically chilly U.S.-Cuban relationship. State Department spokesman Robert Wood downplayed the significance of the meeting, saying the U.S. and Cuba have had discussions in the past when events warranted them. But another official said he was only aware of one such meeting during the last year of the recent Bush administration. A spokesman at the Cuban Interests Section in Washington declined to comment on Monday's meeting. The State Department says the Obama administration would like to see the Communist government in Havana reciprocate the U.S. opening with steps to ease political restrictions in Cuba. The United States and Cuba do not have formal diplomatic relations. They have interests sections that are technically part of the Swiss embassies in each other's capitals. |
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