NEWS
La Lima Free Trade Zone Companies Donate 6,000 Masks and 3,000 Pairs of Gloves to the National Emergency Commission
• The business park also carried out a food donation campaign that helped 150 neighboring Cartago families who have been economically affected by COVID-19.
• The Cartago Special Economic Zone identified the most vulnerable population in the province.
May 2020. With the goal of helping fight the COVID-19 pandemic in Costa Rica, 7 companies from
La Lima Free Trade Zone joined forces to donate 6,000 surgical masks and 3,000 pairs of gloves. The group had evaluated the national situation and the actions they could take to show solidarity with Costa Rica and the province of Cartago.
This top-priority protection material was delivered to the National Emergency Commission (CNE) and will be distributed among personnel working to treat the virus.
Garnier andamp; Garnier, as developers of the business park, participated in the initiative together with Edwards Lifesciences, Align Technology, Itek Soluciones, Coloplast, Matthews Brands Solutions, Heraeus Medical, and Zollner Electronics.
“We know that this donation will have a real and direct impact on our health services and on the community in which we operate. Between us, we established a course of action to show solidarity in the fight against COVID-19,” commented Fernando Carazo, General Manager of the La Lima Free Trade Zone.
The donation includes single-use surgical masks, which offer three layers of protection, anti-fluid non-woven materials, a high-density filter, and a direct skin contact layer, while the donation of latex gloves are disposable and are used in the medical field to protect both patients and users from cross-contamination.
Food Donation Campaign
In addition to the donation of protection equipment, La Lima Free Trade Zone, together with companies from the park, made an economic contribution for the purchase of food and high-priority hygiene items, destined as an aid to the most vulnerable populations in Cartago, in the aftermath of COVID-19.
In total, 150 care packages were delivered to pre-selected families, thanks to coordination by the Cartago Special Economic Zone (ZEEC) – an economic and social development strategy to strengthen the link between business, government, and academic sectors in the province.
"We took on the task of tracking down families that had lost their jobs as a result of COVID-19, in a joint effort between the Municipality of Cartago, the Diocese, the Technological Institute of Costa Rica, and La Lima Free Trade Zone," explained Silvia Hidalgo, ZEEC Coordinator.
Among the selection criteria, an initial consideration was the industry in which these families worked; for example, people who work in tourism and high school students whose parents had lost their jobs, as well as the student population of TEC, which was also affected.
The business park’s management confirms that it will analyze additional opportunities to further its solidarity strategy during the pandemic. "We want to support our communities and the country. This is a time when everyone must help," Carazo concluded.
After the first positive COVID-19 cases had been confirmed in Costa Rica, La Lima Free Trade Zone redoubled efforts to ensure a favorable environment that aligned with government guidelines. A robust safety protocol was activated to protect the health of the park’s more than 2,000 employees; this has allowed for continued continuity of operations and, for positions where possible, remote work.
About La Lima Free Trade Zone
La Lima Free Trade Zone is a project developed by Garnier andamp; Garnier, a company with more than 25 years of experience in real estate development, free trade zone administration, and business parks. It is located in La Lima, Cartago, and currently employs 2,200 people in 7 companies dedicated to services and technology. For more information, please visit lalimafreezone.com.
