Puerto Rico coronavirus statistics for July 27

According to the Puerto Rico Health Department, 15,431 people are believed to have been infected with COVID-19, an increase of 2,970 since last week. This points to a significant spike in new cases, as the increase between July 13 and July 20 was 2,451. The death toll is currently 201, with twenty-one people having died during the past week.

Beginning on June 11, the Health Department changed the way it recorded cases, splitting them between confirmed cases (as determined by molecular diagnostic testing) and probable cases (as determined by serological, non-diagnostic testing). Viewed through that prism, Puerto Rico currently has 5,416 confirmed cases of COVID-19 (an increase of 1,405 over the past week) and 10,015 probable cases (an increase of 1,565 over the past week. The number of probable cases was boosted by the addition of 185 previously unreported cases.

Faced with a dramatic and unabated increase in cases, the Puerto Rico government took steps earlier in the month to once again prohibit a number of activities that had resumed in the past two months, with the hope of helping control the spread of the coronavirus. 

Airlines have in recent months been incentivizing travel to Puerto Rico, offering trips costing as little as $11. Some of these trips originated from states that have become COVID-19 hot spots, such as Florida. This led to protestors attempts to hold a demonstration at Luis Muñoz Marín International Airport this week to call attention to the dangers posed by reopening the airport to tourism-related travel. 

Governor Wanda Vázquez Garced investigated for misuse of funds, whistle-blower retaliation, and ethics violations

The Office of the Independent Special Prosecutor’s Panel (PFEI, in Spanish) announced that it had “sufficient cause” to investigate Governor Wanda Vázquez Garced in connection with alleged misuse of funds assigned to provide relief after January’s earthquakes; alleged improper retaliation against a whistle-blower; and assorted ethics violations. Five other individuals are also under investigation, including Fortaleza chief of staff Antonio Pabón Batlle. The gubernatorial primary is in twelve days.

Attorneys for the governor have attempted to quash the investigation by motioning for its dismissal, citing alleged irregularities such as the recusal of one of the panel’s members, Ygri Rivera, alleged conflicts of interest, and the fact the governor was referred to the PFEI by former Justice Secretary Denisse Longo Quiñones as she was being dismissed from her position. The PFEI, meanwhile, has released documentation explaining its reasons for moving forward with the investigation. 

Several of the governor’s colleagues at the New Progressive Party (NPP) have decried the investigations, including Senate President Thomás Rivera Schatz, who has stated that he would investigate the fiscal operations, controls, procedures and administrative performance of the PFEI. Legislators from the Popular Democratic Party (PDP), meanwhile, have insisted that it was necessary for the legislature to begin considering whether there were grounds for the governor’s impeachment.  

 $528.58 million NAP increase included in Department of Agriculture Appropriations Bill

The U.S. House of Representatives’ Rules Committee added to their FY 2021 Agriculture Department Appropriations bill an amendment that would increase Nutritional Assistance Program (NAP—Puerto Rico’s equivalent to SNAP) funds by $528.58 million. This amendment, offered by Resident Commissioner Jennifer González, would increase NAP funds for that fiscal year to nearly $2.5 billion.

Earlier in the week, Governor Vázquez Garced requested that Congress provide an emergency addition of more than $1.2 billion to the normal NAP appropriation, in order to prevent some 187,000 families from being kicked out of the program by August 1.  

Rains lead to end of Carraízo rationing

Thanks to considerable rainfall last week and the expectation of additional rain this week, the Puerto Rico Aqueducts and Sewers Authority decided to cancel rationing measures currently in place for those drawing water from Carraízo Reservoir.

“Nevertheless, this is not the moment to lower one’s guard: we must continue being prudent in the use of water,” declared PRASA executive president Doriel Pagan in a press release. Rationing measures for Carraízo Reservoir, which supplies water to some 140,000 clients, went into effect on July 2.