The end of the rainy season in Nosara is almost here. Christmas and the December winds are just around the corner, but in Nosara the high season does not seem to be as busy as in previous years. The impact of the pandemic continues to take its toll in a community dependent on tourism.

With the intention of making Nosara a safe destination for international and Costa Rican tourists to visit,  the Nosara Civic Association has decided to participate in an alliance with Paradise Medical Services and the Echandi Laboratory, to carry out a large Covid-19 testing program for those working in the tourism sector of Nosara. Hopefully the results will position Nosara as a safe place to travel to. Tests will also be available to members of the community.

According to the latest report from the Ministry of Health, as of November 23th the coastal district registers 25 active cases of the virus.

Paradise Medical and Echandi Labs will perform 300 blood tests for monoclonal antibodies, which help determine if the person has or had Covid-19 at some point. In addition to that, 100 PCR tests – known as the swab – will be performed. These determine if there is an active infection of the coronavirus.

All tests will be analyzed by the Echandi Laboratory and will be sent to the Ministry of Health, ensuring the safeguarding of confidential information of patients.

According to Dr. Alejandro Gutiérrez from Paradise Medical Services, this exercise responds to the need for an analysis to map the real situation of the district.

“In the face of the possible high season, we want to make an effort so that visitors feel confident that the community is taking the necessary measures and complying with the protocols. In addition, in this way we can support the national health system,” commented the doctor.

When and who can be tested?

The tests, which will be totally free, will be performed on December 11th and 12th in the Multipurpose room in Nosara. They will be carried out by specialist doctors from Paradise Medical Services and the Echandi Laboratory, who will be in charge of complying with all health measures.

During the coming weeks,  the Civic Association of Nosara  will be communicating with the different tourist companies in the area to provide quotas for their workers.  If someone tests positive, the companies can take the necessary measures so that this does not alter the operation of their business.

This test will be voluntary, and in order to reserve a space, those interested must fill out a form that will be sent by writing directly to this email: nosaracovidsafe@gmail.com

As part of the requirements to be tested, those interested must live in Nosara and work in a business related to tourism. They can be Costa Ricans or foreigners, but they must sign a consent that their personal data will be analyzed by the laboratory and sent to the Ministry of Health, even though the data will not be published anywhere. This information will be used solely for analysis purposes.

Another condition of the test is that the same test cannot be performed on two or more people who live in the same bubble.

The test may be given to people without any type of medical insurance.

We invite you to visit our digital platforms in the coming days, as we will be publishing more information about the differences between the types of tests, how they are applied and about the conclusions of this mapping.