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Puerto Rico Reopening Beaches on Saturday Amid Drop in Coronavirus Cases


FILE - A woman wears a face mask and gloves at the gas station during a government ordered quarantine aimed at curbing the spread of the new coronavirus in San Juan, Puerto Rico, in March 2020.
FILE - A woman wears a face mask and gloves at the gas station during a government ordered quarantine aimed at curbing the spread of the new coronavirus in San Juan, Puerto Rico, in March 2020.

Puerto Rico is reopening beaches, casinos, gyms and movie theaters Saturday for three weeks, following a drop in new coronavirus cases.

Gov. Wanda Vázquez said the changes on the U.S. territory will be in effect until October 2.

People are still required to wear masks and maintain a safe social distance, especially at the beach.

The 10 p.m.-5 a.m. curfew for bars and nightclubs will remain in effect.

Vázquez said she will lift a 24-hour lockdown on Sundays and allow restaurants to increase their capacity from 25% to 50%.

Many business owners are praising the reopening, while some health experts warn if cases spike after the reopening, tighter restrictions will go into effect.

So far, Puerto Rico has reported more than 36,000 coronavirus infections and more than 500 deaths.

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