1/10 How has #CostaRica responded to the #COVID19 crisis? It has quickly adopted stringent containment measures, declaring a State of National Emergency on 16 March, 10 days after the first case—see its Oxford stringency index. But why did it do so? bit.ly/2yxZ1SQ 
2/10 #CostaRica has a very low number of hospital beds per 1,000 people (1.1) according to @OECD_Stat. Even more worrisome, it has only 140 ICU beds in public hospitals. Hence the decision to take all the necessary measures to avoid the spread of #COVID19. bit.ly/2wSYXfJ
@OECD_Stat 3/10 The closure of schools, borders, beaches & bars, and restrictions on non-essential activities directly affected the service sector—mainly tourism and retail—with knock-on effects on the economy and employment. Mitigating measures needed to be taken.
@OECD_Stat 4/10 #CostaRica speedily took measures to preserve jobs and business: (i) by alleviating fiscal pressure through a 3-month deferral of social security contributions for employers and self-employed contributors:
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@OECD_Stat 5/10 …and a similar deferral of some tax obligations for firms was approved on 19 March. See Law 9830 on fiscal alleviation: bit.ly/2zhscK8.
@OECD_Stat 6/10 (ii) by allowing reduction in working hours and wages up to 3 months for firms experiencing at least a 20% drop in gross revenues compared to the same period last year due to the #COVID19 crisis. See Law 9832 of 21 March: bit.ly/3arV5Qy
@OECD_Stat 7/10 Art. 10 of Law 9832 allows for dismissed workers, with suspended labour contracts or with reduced working hours due to the #COVID19 crisis, to gain access to unemployment support. We will publish details about this support in our next thread at 7 a.m.
8/10 To compensate (formal) workers having experienced reductions in working hours or contract suspensions, the @asambleacr approved changes in the criteria to access the fund for severance payments (FCL). See Legislative Decree 9837 of 4 April: bit.ly/2z9eJDZ
9/10 The government estimates that up to 500k workers may apply to have access to the FCL. The @BancoCentralCR will be allowed to buy bonds and assets from insurers to ensure liquidity for the payment of the FCL. bit.ly/2RUpcJZ
10/10 The application for the FCL was facilitated through an online platform which was introduced as a measure to ensure social distancing and avoid crowds. bit.ly/2xCTnPc
