Puerto Rico orders hotel guests and employees to be vaccinated

RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – The governor of Puerto Rico, Pedro Pierluisi, ordered on Thursday that all government contractors who frequent their work in person, as well as all employees working in the health sector, must be vaccinated while making the same measure mandatory for guests of hotels, inns or short-term rentals.

In a press conference, together with the Secretary of Health, Carlos Mellado, he insisted that most of those infected are not vaccinated.

Read also: Check out our coverage on Puerto Rico

An executive order establishes that all government contractors working in person will present evidence of vaccination or negative test every week.

Those who are vaccinated must complete the process by September 30.

As in the past executive order against covid-19, the exceptions will be persons with a medical condition whose health may be impaired but must have a medical certificate to that effect certified by a health professional.

Likewise, persons who decided not to be vaccinated for religious reasons have to be certified by affidavit from the leader of their congregation or religious denomination.

However, they will have to present a negative covid-19 test or a positive test with a medical certificate of recovery.

The health secretary also warned that for the issuance of health certificates in Puerto Rico, the covid-19 vaccination card would have to be presented.

“As of today, anyone who requires a health certificate must be vaccinated against covid-19 to obtain it,” he remarked.

In attending health facilities, vaccination or a negative covid-19 test will be required every week for all employees.

This includes, but is not limited to, hospitals, clinical laboratories, medical offices, health and therapy centers, blood banks, pharmacies.

This requirement extends to all those working in a day or long-term care facilities for the elderly.

Regarding the tourism industry, guests of hotels-paradors-hostels including short-term rentals through platforms such as AIRBNB/VRBO/Join a Join among others will also be required to present evidence of vaccination or negative covid-19 test.

If tourists arrive in Puerto Rico with a negative covid-19 test and their stay is extended for more than one week, they will have to take another test.

This requirement extends to employees of hotel-paradors and inns, who must have their vaccination cycle completed before September 30.

In fact, Pierluisi and Mellado recommended that the concessionaires of these establishments apply rules like this to their employees.

Today, the island has reached 76% of those eligible to be vaccinated with at least one dose.

The positivity rate is at 11%.

Currently,235 people are hospitalized, of which 36 people are connected to a respirator and there are 2,594 deaths.