Question

How has covid-19 impacted the economy of Puerto Rico?

Answer 1

The first case of COVID-19 was confirmed in Puerto Rico on March 13, at that time, Puerto Rico was still recovering from several major natural disasters, including Hurricane Maria and the 2019–20 Puerto Rico earthquakes.

Puerto Rico was unprepared for the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic. When compared to that of the United States, Puerto Rico's population was at higher risk of COVID-19 due to additional factors such as an older population, higher levels of poverty, and greater dependence on public resources for access to health care.

It is generally known that the virus is more harmful to older people and Puerto Rico has a high proportion of elderly people. In July 2019, almost 21% of Puerto Rico's population was over the age of 65.

Thus, due to these factors, the population of Puerto Rico was more vulnerable to the attack of Covid-19 and these factors adversely impacted their economy.