With visions of trash and crowds in her head, Public Health Minister María Luisa Avila yesterday announced she will deny the Caribbean port of Limón a permit to hold its annual Carnival festivities in October out of concern over an alarming wave of dengue affecting the area.
Avila made this announcement during a press conference yesterday regarding steps the ministry is taking to close down the Río Azul landfill, south of San José, according to Public Health Ministry spokesman Alex Ulate.
So far this year, there have been 2,191 cases of this mosquito-transmitted disease in the Limón province, according to a statement from the health ministry.
Health authorities fear Carnival would further exacerbate this problem by attracting more mosquitoes to the city to feast on visitors and breed in their trash, Ulate said.
The alternative for Limón would be to hold Carnival somewhere in the province that has not become so infected with this disease.
Though perhaps the minister's decision is unpopular with some it “was made for the well-being of the people,” Ulate said.
The ministry is trying to combat dengue by “arriving directly to the population,” to educate people about how to prevent it and is also fumigating in the area, he said |
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