Americans will have a new country they can visit, starting in September: Costa Rica. Tourism Minister Gustavo Segura announced the decision on Wednesday, according to the Tico Times, an English-language media organization based in Costa Rica; however, only travelers from New York, New Jersey, New Hampshire, Maine, Vermont and Connecticut will be welcomed. Passengers must prove their residency in one of those states using their driver’s license.
In addition, travelers must obtain a negative PCR-RT test within 48 hours of their flight and purchase a travel insurance plan that covers COVID-19 (coronavirus). In addition, all arriving passengers must complete an online health form.
To start, the Costa Rica Tourism Board says it expects about four flights a week from three airports in the New York City area: Newark Liberty International Airport, John F. Kennedy International Airport and LaGuardia Airport. According to The New York Times, the six accepted states are the six with the lowest new cases (in the last seven days) per 100,000 people—all of which are under 30. States with fewer than 50 new cases per 100,000 people include Massachusetts, Colorado, Pennsylvania, Oregon, West Virginia and New Mexico. The first three (which have lower rates of new cases) are being analyzed and considered for entry into Costa Rica, according to Segura. No timeframe has been announced yet.
Segura also notes that responsible behavior is expected of both tourism companies and visitors. Currently, Costa Rica allows all open-air tourist activities but requires face coverings in most indoor situations.
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