Cancun coronavirus cases: tougher controls due to new strain in USA

05/01/2021

As of today, Cancun coronavirus cases reached 7,512 positive infections and 1,294 deaths. Benito Juarez (where Cancun is located) is the jurisdiction with the most cases in the state of Quintana Roo, followed by Solidaridad (Playa del Carmen).

Cancun coronavirus update

Quintana Roo, where Cancun and the Riviera Maya are located, will reinforce health security measures at airports and tourist facilities in view of the presence of the new strain of coronavirus in the United States, the main issuing market for the Mexican Caribbean.

The State Secretary of Health was informed of an operation to verify foreign flights arriving at the air terminal when the presence of the new strain in the United States was known.

"We are making special checks on several flights arriving from abroad to the Cancun International Airport to be more certain of avoiding coronavirus COVID-19," said Governor Carlos Joaquin Gonzalez in his social networks.

Cancun, meanwhile, will continue to receive travelers from the United Kingdom after the new strain of coronavirus, which experts say is ultra-contagious, was detected. However, as long as the federal government does not issue an order to close the borders with the said country, the largest air entry to the Mexican Caribbean will receive more than a thousand British passengers per week.

The Governor of Quintana Roo, Carlos Joaquin Gonzalez, established the mandatory use of masks and extended the measures against the coronavirus pandemic until January 15, 2021.

Among the established measures are:

The use of masks is mandatory on the street and public transportation.

People over 60 or with high blood pressure, diabetes, heart or lung disease, immunosuppressed or immunodeficient, including pregnant women, should stay home.

Social events, such as meetings or congregations on the occasion of holidays, are canceled.

Meetings with up to 10 people should be held outdoors preferably, and attendees should wear a mask as long as possible.

Vehicles may travel with up to four passengers on board, motorcycles with one person, and public transportation vehicles with up to three passengers including the driver.

Sanitary filters have also been installed at the entrance and exit of the municipalities to verify that the measures are complied with.

Health protocol due to coronavirus in Cancun

Faced with the challenges of the global coronavirus pandemic COVID- 19, declared by the WHO, the City Council of Benito Juarez through the competent agencies has developed the opening protocol for the beaches of Cancun whose main objective is to safeguard the safety of all users and visitors.

Cancun coronavirus cases trend line. Image: Ministry of Health

The State Secretary of Health was informed of an operation to verify foreign flights arriving at the air terminal when the presence of the new strain in the United States was known.

Currently, the sites with the highest tourist influx represent a continuous risk within this health contingency of coronavirus, so the containment and staggered occupation of the beaches in Cancun is of utmost importance to avoid the spread of infections in the famous tourist destination. The activities suggested will work based on the alert level of the Sanitary System, as well as the geographic area.

The purpose is to apply the necessary sanitary measures for the prevention and reduction of the coronavirus COVID-19 in Cancun, as a support to the tourist activity of the destination, generating confidence and certainty to the users by establishing a system of measurement and permanent sanitary surveillance on the beaches.

The maximum capacity of each beach will be 60% while the state epidemiological indicator will be marked in yellow.

It is mandatory for all users to respect the distance of at least 1.5 meters.

Sanitary prevention measures must be marked on the beaches.

The symptoms of respiratory infections must be exposed.

Hygiene stations with 70% alcohol must be placed.

In the areas that are required, the space of healthy distance between users must be indicated.

Entrance to facilities and sandy beaches

The hours allowed on the beaches of Cancun during the yellow phase of the epidemiological warning light established by the state government will be from 9 am to 5 pm, Monday to Sunday. The allowed influx, according to the yellow phase, will be 60% of the average capacity on each of the beaches.

The access and consumption of alcoholic beverages will not be allowed on the beaches.

All users who wish to access the beaches must follow the following instructions:

To arrive with cover mouth put.

To join the line of access guarding healthy distance.

Place antibacterial gel on your hands.

Allow your body temperature to be taken. If the person has a temperature above 37.5 degrees, he or she will not be allowed access to the beach.

Allow the check of coolers and/or bags in case of carrying them, since alcoholic beverages are not allowed.

Keep your mask or if it is disposable, put it in the corresponding container. The person who is caught throwing his or her gloves, mouthpiece, or any type of sanitary waste into the sands will be subject to a penalty.

The stay inside the beach can be of a maximum of 5 people by group, in case of exceeding this number they will be asked to fulfill the established protocol.

Toilets

Entrance to toilets and showers should be coordinated and avoid crowding of more than 5 people.

The signaling of healthy distance and instructions of the personnel in charge for the access to facilities should be respected.

Sports activities

No group sports or physical contact activities will be allowed on the beach, only individual sports activities such as swimming, athletics, among others.

Photographic viewpoint

Visitors who want to take a picture at a photo lookout point should follow the directions and line up, respecting a 1.5 m distance from others in the waiting line, and wear a mask.

It is important to apply the anti-bacterial gel before and after touching railings, letters, or bases inside the photographic viewpoint to prevent the spread and infection of COVID-19 coronavirus.

Health Protocol

It is compulsory to respect the sanitary protocol inside the beaches, so if any person does not comply with the sanitary rules, he or she cannot stay inside. All people entering the beaches must do so:

Wash their hands frequently with alcohol-based hand sanitizer 70%, or with soap and water.

When coughing or sneezing, cover the mouth and nose with a bent elbow or tissue, then throw the tissue in the appropriate container and immediately wash hands.

Keep at least 1.5 meters (3 feet) distance between users, in case of a group of 2 to 5 people, and keep at least 3 meters distance between users who are not in a group.

Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth as the virus can be transmitted from the surface to these points.

Use antibacterial gel containing at least 70% alcohol concentration.

Mouthguards and disposable gloves should be placed in a special container.

Access Station

Official information about the COVID-19 coronavirus must be provided in the areas assigned as access, as well as measures to be taken to avoid its propagation, placing signs about the prevention of contagion.

The kiosk must have at least one dispenser with disinfectant gel or alcohol.

Assigned personnel must use protective measures such as face shields, masks and maintain a healthy distance from visitors.

It is very important to implement the code of conduct for users and visitors, mask or mouthpiece at their entrance, stay or exit from the beach.

Beach area

If the beach has palapas, it is recommended to use them as long as they keep a minimum distance of 3 meters and the use of these is limited to 5 people.

Only groups of 5 people or less will be allowed to stay, and if they do not comply with this indication they must leave the beach.

The facilities must be disinfected before the opening hours of the beach. It is important to keep a log of disinfection services. These services should be carried out in accordance with the recommendations issued by the World Health Organization.

In all toilets, social distancing marks and antibacterial gel dispensers should be placed in the access area, according to the following:

Antibacterial gel dispensers should be placed in all toilets.

Toilet personnel should wear masks, mouth guards, and gloves.

Information on proper handwashing and relevant information on preventive measures for COVID-19 coronavirus should be posted in the restrooms.

The personnel in charge of the bathrooms must limit the access according to the capacity.

Waste containers

It is important to implement the use of a container exclusively for waste such as mouth guards, gloves, and dispensers among others. The collection of these, the solid urban waste generated in the containers, should be carried out in a timely manner to avoid sources of contamination.

How these protocols look in reality

Cancun has responded quickly to the challenges of the coronavirus pandemic by implementing rigorous protocols that ensure safety without limiting leisure and vacation time.

Hotels have installed everything from floor dividers and spaced pool chairs (to remind guests of social distancing) to motion-activated doors and hand sanitizers strategically placed throughout the facility so visitors can enjoy their stay while staying healthy.

The employees working at the Cancun and Riviera Maya resorts go above and beyond to keep everything clean and disinfected. They disinfect pool chairs after each use and clean and disinfect public areas frequently. The establishments also have barriers and screens at the counters where guests and employees interact.

There is limited interaction, as resorts are using QR codes for travelers to download all the information they may need during their stay. From restaurant menus and spa treatments to tours and daily resort schedules, guests can explore all the new features from their personal devices.

Therefore, the all-inclusive hotels and resorts, most of which have private beaches, quality restaurants, and a complete range of leisure activities, have everything necessary to offer tourists an idyllic and safe vacation in times of coronavirus pandemic.

Cancun, the favorite beach resort for national and international tourists, received the highest flow of visitors in the last four months, although it is still far from the volumes it captured before the mobility restrictions caused by the coronavirus.

In spite of the effects generated by the coronavirus pandemic, Cancun continues to demonstrate its tourist potential at a global level with a gradual economic reactivation, prioritizing the issue of health.

Cancun was the first destination to be granted the "Safe Travels" certificate by the World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC), which gave national and international tourism the confidence to visit this tourist pole.

Among the achievements recently obtained by the present administration, in the field of tourism, are the four "Platinum Beach" certifications for the resorts of Las Perlas, Chac Mool, Ballenas, and Del Niño, issued by the Mexican Institute of Standardization and Certification. In addition to having seven public beaches and three hotel beaches with the Blue Flag award, there are three other sustainable clean beach certifications.

Cancun and the whole of Quintana Roo have been strongly affected by the collapse of travelers from the United States and Canada because of the coronavirus situation. Until August, Quintana Roo had received 1.6 million passengers from both countries, considered strategic markets. From the United States, 1.2 million travelers were attracted, with a drop of 59.1% compared to 2019, while from Canada, 452,553 people arrived, with a drop of 47.1%.

According to data from the Quintana Roo Tourism Promotion Council, this year the U.S. market is the second with the highest flow, representing 40.3 percent of total arrivals, only below the national one which is 56%. Optimism is served by hoteliers who expect occupancy to rise with the arrival of new flights.

By Mexicanist, Source: Cancun Government