Puerto Rico has imposed a $100 fine for tourists who refuse to wear face coverings, which are required at all times, even outside, by Puerto Rico’s covid-19 safety guidelines. However, there have been several incidents on the island where tourists reacted violently when asked to wear masks, according to the outlet.
In March, two hotel guests in San Juan got in a fight that had to be broken up by security guards, too.
In response to those incidents, police in San Juan began adding more officers to tourist hotspots in mid-March.
“We have assigned a whole lot of police, particularly within the space of Condado because of the excessive number of incidents,” San Juan’s police chief Orlando Rivera Lebrón informed news agency. “Ever since we started this plan, we’ve made a number of arrests and have intervened with a lot of disorderly conduct.”
Rivera Lebrón instructed the outlet that since they’ve increased police presence in common tourist spots, officers have arrested 27 individuals for violent behavior and drug possession.
On Monday, Puerto Rico Gov. Pedro Pierluisi mentioned security around the territory would be increased even more for spring break, with more than 3,500 officers stationed at common tourist spots and 1,100 active National Guard soldiers present to enforce Puerto Rico’s safety measures.
Beyond the mask requirement, Puerto Rico’s COVID-19 safety protocol requires businesses to close at 11 p.m. The territory also mandated a curfew from midnight to 5 a.m. as well.
