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(CNN Español) — Due to the accelerated growth of COVID-19 infections in Mexico in the middle of the summer holiday season, some of the main beach destinations in Mexico reinforced measures to prevent the rapid spread of the new coronavirus from continuing.
The restrictions will be in effect for the most part until August 8 and could change if various indicators such as infections, hospitalization and deaths related to covid-19 go down or up.
The summer vacation period in Mexico is from July to August. Despite the fact that the country is going through its third wave of covid-19 infections, the federal Ministry of Tourism anticipates the arrival of more than 20 million travelers, that is, 178% more than in the same season last year.
Cancun, Acapulco and Mazatlán, in that order, are the three most visited beach destinations by tourists, according to the Secretariat.
Mazatlan, Mexico. Credit: DANIEL SLIM / AFP via Getty Images
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Mazatlan
In the port of Mazatlán, located in the Mexican Pacific, the City Council announced that it will be mandatory to show proof of vaccination to be able to enter bars, canteens, discos, nightclubs, restaurants, cinemas and shopping centers.
The measure will be in force as of Monday, August 2 and is mandatory for national and foreign residents and tourists, the mayor, Guillermo Benítez Torres, confirmed to CNN.
“There are people who see it from the side that we are restricting their freedoms and we are not respecting their human rights. No, I am not forcing anyone to be vaccinated, I am only demanding that to enter, to be in a public place such as a restaurant, downtown. I’m not going to ask him on the street to have a vaccination certificate, but if he wants to enter a place, it will be necessary, “he said.
Benítez Torres added that, far from being a measure that discourages tourists or residents from going to public spaces, it will give confidence and certainty to those who visit these places.
“If the one who arrives verifies that he is vaccinated, he will give sanitary certainty to all those who are in that area, how soft it would be to know that I go to a bar or a restaurant and I know that everyone is vaccinated,” he added.
The mayor said that this measure also encouraged more young people to get vaccinated because they do not want to miss the entertainment spaces.
He specified that almost 100,000 young people between 18 and 29 years old live in Mazatlán, and that in just two days 30,000 were vaccinated. “Almost a third of it is incredible,” he explained.
The president of the port’s Hotels and Motels Commission, Guillermo Romo Rodríguez, told CNN that this union endorses and abides by the measure.
“We see it well, we endorse this measure that is being done because it is a preventive measure that will help us a lot to avoid the chain of infections. Where the covid cases in Mazatlán have occurred the most at this time is in young people, “he said.
Mazatlán is a municipality in Sinaloa, a state that is currently the only one in the country with a red light, with more than 3,800 active cases, according to authorities.
Cancun. Credit: PEDRO PARDO / AFP via Getty Images
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Cancún
A similar measure was adopted by the state of Quintana Roo, where some of the most visited beach destinations in the country are located, such as Cancun, Playa del Carmen and Bacalar.
The state government published on Friday on its official Facebook account that, to enter public spaces, customers must present proof of vaccination or negative PCR or antigen test no longer than 72 hours.
This measure is also mandatory for the establishment’s staff who, if not vaccinated, must present a negative PCR or antigen test every three days.
Quintana Roo is on an orange traffic light with 3,600 active cases as of Friday. According to the state’s reopening plan, this implies that bars, nightclubs, discos, entertainment centers and canteens must close, while beaches must have a maximum capacity of 30% and hotels and restaurants 50%.
Acapulco. Credit: ALFREDO ESTRELLA / AFP via Getty Images
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Acapulco
This beach destination went from yellow to orange a week ago, due to the increase in the number of infections.
The state government published on July 25 in the official newspaper of Guerrero the new provisions for all its municipalities, including Acapulco, such as the reduction of occupancy percentages, capacity and hours of essential and non-essential activities, until August 8.
The maximum capacity for hotels is 50%, and for beaches 40%, from 7:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. For pleasure yachts, the capacity is 40%, with hours from 7:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m.
Restaurants and ventilated or open-air nightclubs operate at 40% of their capacity, from 6:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m.
Bars, nightclubs and event rooms in closed spaces will not open, while congress and convention spaces will be able to hold events with prior sanitary authorization and requesting rapid detection tests for the SARS-COV2 virus from visitors.
Supermarkets, self-service stores, department stores and shopping centers limit entry to one person, with hours from 7:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m., and the sale of alcohol is suspended from 6:00 p.m.
Cabo San Lucas. Credit: DANIEL SLIM/AFP via Getty Images
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Los Cabos
In Los Cabos, located on the Baja California Sur peninsula, the nightlife centers closed since March last year and have not reopened, the president of the local Tourism Business Council, Mauricio Salicrup, confirmed to CNN.
“Nightlife as it was before the pandemic has not been restored and there is no date to be restored,” said Salicrup, who however warned that this has not discouraged the arrival of tourists who can enjoy the sun and beaches.
He added that in this destination the beaches are open from 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m., and hotels operate at 50% of their capacity, while restaurants close at 11:00 p.m. and only alcohol is sold to those who eat food.
Vallarta Port. Credit. DANIEL SLIM / AFP via Getty Images
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Vallarta Port
Puerto Vallarta, located in the Mexican Pacific, belongs to the state of Jalisco, currently on an orange traffic light with more than 7,400 active cases.
The state government indicated that the rapid growth of infections in recent weeks forced them to take more severe measures, such as closing bars and nightclubs during August.
Restaurant capacity dropped to 50% and with permission to operate until 00:00 hours, while hotels retain a maximum occupancy of 80%. The beaches are freely accessible.
New vallarta
This destination belongs to the state of Nayarit and borders Puerto Vallarta. The state is also on an orange traffic light and with more than 3,000 active cases.
State authorities on Thursday ordered the closure of billiards, bars, canteens, restaurant-bars, discos and nightclubs.
They will allow restaurants a maximum capacity of 50% and closing time at 00:00 hours, while hotels, beaches and tours will be able to operate at 70% of their capacity.
Covid-19 cases in Mexico
Mexico is going through a third wave of covid-19 infections, with more than 121,700 active cases as of Friday, according to the daily technical report of the Ministry of Health.
This Friday, 19,346 new cases were added, according to the technical report. It is one of the highest figures so far in this third wave.
As of July 29, almost 46 million Mexicans (51% of the population over 18 years of age) had been vaccinated, just over 25 and a half million with a complete scheme, according to official figures.
The Undersecretary of Health, Hugo López Gatell, reported that on Friday, for the third consecutive day, more than a million doses were applied throughout the country.
With the collaboration of Jesús Bustamante and Bertha Salomón
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