A fascinating look at Costa Rica’s crisis reaction

If you check out the Daily Boost on the regular, you may have noticed I really haven’t delved into the data around Costa Rica’s COVID-19 outbreak and government response. There are three reasons. One, I have been focused on economic and nonprofit relief. Two, I have been too busy holding my breath and crossing my fingers, hoping that what has appeared to be a highly competent and responsible set of emergency measures put in place by intelligent and caring leaders, holds. Finally, I have been spending the rest of my time picking my jaw up off the floor as I look at what is happening in my home country, the United States.

However, as you can imagine, my attempts to digest what is happening here and back home, and to make sense of the difference, are constant. And dizzying.

That’s why I found the graphics and analysis in this video by José “Caya” Cayasso, the CEO of Costa Rican company Slidebean, so helpful. As this former New York City resident says in the video, it’s not about criticizing New York, which has much higher population density than Costa Rica and many other differences. It’s about recognizing the value of some of the steps taken by the Costa Rican government and what they mean for the country going forward.

Back to holding my breah – I mean, doing yoga and breathing deep. Let me know what you think of Caya’s take!

I’m a writer in San José, Costa Rica, on a year-long quest to share daily posts on inspiring people, places and ideas from my adopted home as a kind of tonic during a rough time in the world. Sign up (top right of this page) to receive a little dose of inspiration every weekday in your mailbox; tell a friend; check out past posts; and please connect with me on Instagram or Facebook! If you want to learn more about how to support Costa Rica during the crisis, visit my COVID-19 section, updated regularly – or for ways to enjoy Costa Rica from afar, visit Virtual Costa Rica.