The flock of tourists to its most popular spots has led to an increase in COVID-19 cases in several states of Mexico. Local authorities have been forced to introduce harsher measures.
The northern regions have been downgraded to “orange light” status from January 27 to February 14 given the spike in new cases.
The change in color does not mean that beaches will be closed but that they will work at a 30% capacity, as mayors from Cancun and Playa del Carmen have already confirmed.
Cities like Acapulco have reduced all businesses, public spaces and establishments’ capacity to 30% while Cancun and Playa del Carmen keep allowed occupancy at 50%.
Nightlife in these cities is being curbed as well. Nightclubs and bars have been closed and restaurants and other service businesses need to operate with reduced hours.
Mexico’s traffic light system has allowed the country to remain open by implementing strict measures only to those regions where epidemiological numbers make it necessary.
Federal government officials are in charge of evaluating outbreaks and medical response in each region. Green and yellow areas are deemed safer while orange and red require strict contention measures.
At the moment, most states in the country are under an “orange” risk level. However, local authorities have implemented regional traffic light systems, isolating only their most affected jurisdictions.
Baja California, Guanajuato, Mexico City, Morelos and the State of Mexico are under a “red” risk level. Only essential businesses are allowed to operate and there could be local lockdowns and other restrictions.
The dramatic spike in cases seen in Mexico comes as no surprise. The federal government lukewarm approach to fight the virus has been criticized by national and international organizations.
The spread of the virus seems to be out of control, and as of today Mexico is the third most affected country in the world, topped only by Brazil and the US.
The number of daily cases ranges from 15.000 to 20.000. To date the country has reported 1,825,519 cases and 155,145 deaths.
Such numbers have overstretched the health system’s resources. Hospitals are at (or over) their capacity, medical supplies are scarce and health workers find it hard to cope with the magnitude of the situation.
Despite the situation, the tourism industry continues to come up with creative solutions to maintain the flow of visitors to Mexico.
Puerto Vallarta, has made testing extensively available for visitors. Travelers can purchase tests through their hotels (or even be given one for free).
Visitors from the U.S. can easily obtain the test results they require to go back home, and they can opt for on-site testing at their hotel or visit one of the multiple testing facilities in the region.