Governor to relax COVID-19 restrictions this month
By The Star Staff
Gov. Pedro Pierluisi Urrutia said Monday that this month he will relax certain aspects of the executive order issued in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
“The requirements that are in that executive order right now, probably will be relaxed, if not to say, in all probability,” the governor said at a press conference.
In response to questions about whether the relaxation will include all aspects -- that is, the use of masks, capacity and compulsory vaccination -- the governor replied: “I am going to evaluate everything.”
“Regarding vaccination, my inclination is that I do not envision major changes to the vaccination requirements, to the mandates with the exceptions that they already have,” he said. “In that area at least, it [the next executive order] is not making major changes. But in other areas, such as capacity, vaccination requirements and negative tests at the entrance of commercial establishments, it is in those areas where there can be flexibility.”
Last Friday, the Centers for Disease Control eliminated the requirement to wear masks in closed places or where crowds gather.
According to data from the island Department of Health published Monday, the positivity rate for the coronavirus was at 5.22 percent.