Puerto Rico to reopen businesses, beaches with new rules

Puerto Rico will cautiously reopen beaches, restaurants, churches, malls and hair salons next week under strict new rules as U.S. territory emerges from a two-month lockdown that stifled business activity on an island already beset with ecomic woes.

Gov. Wanda Vázquez anunced Thursday that most businesses will reopen on Tuesday, but a 7 p.m-to-5 a.m. curfew will remain in place until June 15. All people will be required to wear a mask when outside or inside a business, regardless of what y are doing.

“Puerto Rico is facing a new way of life,” she said. “It’s right time ... We have flattened curve.”

Many Puerto Ricans, including business owners, cheered highly anticipated anuncement. Health experts warned that government has t tested eugh people or conducted eugh contact tracing and is t prepared for a possible spike in new infections.

Puerto Rico’s Health Department has reported more than 2,900 confirmed COVID-19 cases and at least 126 deaths, and dozens of additional infections still emerge every day. Officials do t regularly update statistics, including how many people have been tested or how many have recovered. Until recently, island had a lower per-capita testing rate than any U.S. state.

Mónica Feliú-Mójer, spokeswoman for CienciaPR, a nprofit group of Puerto Rican scientists who seek widespread testing, said she was concerned that government's data did t show that COVID-19 is under control.

Vázquez said restricted reopenings will protect people but also provide desperately needed ecomic relief on an island hit by hurricanes and earthquakes. resumption of some rmal activities also comes as government restructures some of its more than $70 billion public debt load after declaring largest municipal bankruptcy in U.S. history in 2015.

Restaurants will be allowed to operate at 25% capacity. Hair salons and barber shops will welcome clients by appointment only. People doing exercise, such as surfing, jogging, swimming or kayaking, will be allowed at beach from 5 a.m. to 7 p.m. Stores and malls will be allowed to reopen but under limited capacity, and people will be prohibited from trying on clos, among or restrictions.

“You will t be allowed to stroll halls like before,” goverr said. “re will be lanes ... We have to be disciplined.”

Businesses that will remain closed for w include gyms and movie aters, and all arriving flights are limited to Puerto Rico’s main international airport.

Ecomist José Caraballo said that lockdown, one of strictest in any U.S. jurisdiction, has caused estimated ecomic losses ranging from $6 billion to $12 billion. unemployment rate has spiked to an estimated 40% on an island of 3.2 million people with a poverty rate of more than 40%, higher than any U.S. state.

Unlike in aftermath of hurricanes Maria and Irma and a recent string of earthquakes, Puerto Ricans cant move to U.S. mainland because of pandemic, Caraballo said in a phone interview.

“y are desperate,” he said. “ usual escape valve, which was migration, is closed.”

Delays in distribution of local and federal aid have also deepened financial struggles of many Puerto Ricans affected by natural disasters and government’s ongoing bankruptcy-like process, which has led to austerity measures.

“ government’s inefficiency has caused social crisis we have right w,” Caraballo said.

Public schoolchildren and those seeking pandemic unemployment assistance have been especially hurt by pandemic.

government kept school cafeterias shut for almost two months, opting to offload its food to nprofits and a local food bank, where it quickly ran out. That forced some teachers to buy food for ir students with ir own money.

In addition, some 90,000 people applied for pandemic unemployment assistance when funds became available on April 28, but an online system crashed. It was t until Thursday that government said that first 50,000 people began receiving payments. It’s unclear when remaining applicants will receive money.

Some business owners did t feel like celebrating much.

Hair stylist Anabel Fuentes said she lost up to $8,000 during lockdown and w has to look for a more affordable place to rent since she cant accept as many clients.

“ financial problems will persist, and might even worsen and lead to bankruptcy,” she said. “thing will be same.”