Archive for May 6th, 2009
Wednesday, May 6th, 2009
Costa Rica’s health minister confirmed on Tuesday that the number of confirmed cases of AH1N1 flu virus has increased to eight, while 369 suspected cases have been disproved.
Maria Luisa Avila told a press conference that eight cases have been confirmed by local analysis, but the specimens have been sent to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control to corroborate the diagnoses.
Of the cases locally confirmed, two are hospitalized but in stable condition, while five are isolated in their homes and one has recovered.
Avila said that a 53-year-old man suffering from flu was admitted to a hospital for pneumonia that has been aggravated by causes other than the virus, including asthma, lung damage and diabetes. (more…)
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Wednesday, May 6th, 2009
Renting a car in Costa Rica? First call up your credit card company and ask them what Insurance coverage they provide with car rental in Costa Rica? Each credit card company is different. But just for purposes of example- let me tell you about mine. I have a gold American Express card. I can be covered (for a fee of $24.95 ) while renting a car in Costa Rica EXCEPT FOR LIABILITY. So I purchase a separate liability insurance policy thru the rental car agency in Costa Rica.
Again: Every credit card is different. Call yours and ask .
If your credit card does offer car rental coverage, you will save money by buying the portions thru them that covers everything except the liability portion. A large portion of the money you pay to rent the car in Costa Rica goes to insurance.
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Wednesday, May 6th, 2009
The Costa Rican Institute of Electricity (ICE) has been the only entity in charge of the country’s telecommunications since 1963. With the introduction of the free trade agreement in 2008, the ICE must face one of its biggest challenges so far: competition.
However, ICE officials are not at all worried with the opening of the market to international phone companies as their position within the Latin America region places them among the cheapest in the area.
According to a research conducted by the Pyramid Research Firm, Costa Rica has the lowest prepaid and postpaid mobile phone rates as well as the lowest text message rates in Latin America. ICE expects to keep these low rates in order to compete with the incoming international phone companies. (more…)
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Wednesday, May 6th, 2009
Tolls on the San Jose – Caldera highway will begin on Saturday, May 9, according to the concessionaire, Consorcio Autopistas de Sol.
The tolls at at Escazú, Ciudad Colón (Piedades de Santa Ana), Orotina and Pozón will all be functioning according to transport officials.
At Escazú there are 14 toll booths in each direction charging ¢310 for passenger vehicles, ¢630 for buses, ¢790 for trucks of two and three axles adn ¢1.990 for trucks of five axles.
The tolls, at all toll booths, will be charged in each direction of traffic, bringing the cost of travelling between San Jose and Piedades de Santa Ana to ¢470 one way and ¢940 for the return trip.
The toll booths will include payment by cash or by electronic charge to a TAG device that can only be obtained from the HSBC bank.
HSBC was chosen as the sole distributor of the electronic device, which costs $30 for non HSBC customers, half of that for those who have an account at the bank.
The device automatic reads the movement through the toll and deducts the appropriate amount from the account. When the balance of the account becomes low, the device will emit a warning to deposit more money in the account.
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