Puerto Rico extends coronavirus quarantine, questions Trump’s reluctance to lock down
Fighting a growing number of cases of the coronavirus and with few other options, Puerto Rico on Thursday announced it will be extending a two-week lockdown for an additional two weeks.
Gov. Wanda Vázquez acknowledged the measure will bring more economic pain to the U.S. territory of 3.2 million people but said she had little choice.
Social distancing and enforced isolation “are the only antidote we have against this virus,” she said.
As of Friday, Puerto Rico has 79 cases of the novel coronavirus that causes COIVD-19 and has reported three deaths, but government officials said there are likely at least 600 additional cases, undetected on the island.
With a weak healthcare system and an aging population, Puerto Rico has taken some of the most forceful steps of any U.S. jurisdiction to try to stop the spread of the virus.
On March 16, Vázquez ordered the closure of beaches, public parks and all nonessential businesses. She also ordered residents to stay home and imposed a curfew from 9 p.m. to 5 a.m. All visitors are being screened at the airport and being told they must self-quarantine for two weeks.
For the new emergency decree that begins March 31 and runs through April 12, the curfew will be broadened from 7 p.m. to 5 a.m. and all grocery stores will be shut on Sundays. In addition, there will be restrictions on what days of the week cars can circulate, depending on their license plate.
Vázquez said the new rules were all recommendations from the task force and were necessary to increase compliance to the maximum.
The extended regulations come as the mainland United States has become the new epicenter of the global pandemic — surpassing Italy and China in the number of cases.
Vázquez said President Donald Trump made a mistake by not ordering a lockdown earlier.
“They didn’t want to close thinking about the economy,” she said. “What did Trump say? ‘Let’s wait and see,’ and they didn’t shut down,” she said. “What do you tell the people from New York or Florida or California who have lost so many family members?”
Like many states and countries, Puerto Rico has been struggling to get enough test kits. We’re competing “against the world” to acquire the limited tests, said Juan Salgado, a member of the island’s coronavirus task force.
“Whether we have tests or not, what’s important is for all of us to take care of ourselves and our families” by staying indoors, Salgado said. “The test isn’t going to cure you.”
The government’s forceful response to the crisis has been undermined by cabinet changes. On Thursday, interim Health Secretary Concepción Quiñones de Longo stepped down after holding the job for less than two weeks.
The new health czar is Lorenzo González Feliciano, a psychiatrist who had previously been health secretary from 2009-2013.
Vázquez said that she had not fired Quiñones but did not stop her from resigning. The change comes as the government has been criticized for its lack of transparency and not ramping up testing.
The extended shutdown brings a new dose of economic pain to the island where poverty and unemployment were already high before the virus hit.
On Monday, the government unveiled a $787 million aid package that will put cash in the hands of many islanders.
On Thursday, Vázquez said she was giving additional bonuses to municipal police, firefighters and others who are helping enforce the new rules and who are on the medical front lines.
“We can fix the economic problems in the future,” she said. “But for now we need to save lives.”
This story was originally published March 26, 2020 at 8:16 PM.
