15 February – Authorities in seize a record five tons of cocaine worth $130 million in the port of Limón.[3]
6 March – COVID-19 pandemic in Costa Rica: The first case of COVID-19 in the country is confirmed. The individual was a 49-year-old American woman who had arrived on a flight from New York on 1 March and did not exhibit symptoms at the time. She was isolated in a San José lodging along with her husband who had also been in contact with infected persons in New York.[4]
13 March – COVID-19 pandemic: Leaders of Costa Rica, Belize, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, Panama, and the Dominican Republic sign an agreement for dealing with the coronavirus pandemic. It includes canceling the Costa Rican film festival.[5]
18 March – COVID-19 pandemic: An 87-year-old man becomes the first COVID-19 death in Costa Rica.[6]
28 March – Panama and Costa Rica fail in attempts to move thousands of migrants from Africa, Asia, and Haiti amassed in shelters as a precaution against COVID-19. Costa Rica has 295 confirmed cases and two deaths.[7]
28 May 28 – COVID-19 pandemic: Legislative leaders from Costa Rica meet with their counterparts from nine other Latin American countries to discuss a response to the COVID-19 pandemic.[9]
24 August – A 6.2 M earthquake centered in Pochotal de Garabito, Puntarenas, is felt throughout the country. No damages are reported.[10]
15 September – Independence Day: Before a reduced crowd, President Carlos Alvarado praises health workers, "today's heroes".[11]
18 September – The government proposes a tax increase and austerity measures in order to get US $1.75 billion in aid from the International Monetary Fund (IMF).[12]
15 December – Costa Rica builds an emission-free wooden ship capable of transporting 350 tons of cargo.[13]
16 December – COVID-19 pandemic: Costa Rica approves the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine and hope to begin applications in the first trimester of 2021.[14]
23 December – “Afro-Latino Travels With Kim Haas,” a TV series honoring Afro-Latinos and highlighting Costa Rica, premiers on PBS.[15]
24 December – COVID-19 pandemic: Vaccination begins.[16]
