PAHO Alerts of Community Spread in Quintana Roo
After weeks of stabilization and, in some places, a reduction in COVID-19 cases, there are signs of a rise in community spread in the Americas, alerted Carissa F. Etienne, Director of PAHO, in a press release. In the case of Mexico, these loci are the states of Quintana Roo and Baja California.
Canada, the US and Mexico have kept the spread relatively under control but each of these countries presents active loci of community spread deemed critical by PAHO. In Mexico, health authorities at the local and federal levels have also expressed their concern. Earlier this week, Epidemiology Director José Luis Alomía stated that these states have continued seeing community spread. In the case of Quintana Roo, the situation is particularly dire. It is currently the only state to remain in an orange category in the country’s traffic light system.
For its part, Quintana Roo’s governor expressed concern regarding community spread since there has been an average of 100 daily new cases reported. He added that it is paramount to continue balancing the economic recovery while keeping up with public health and that avoiding a return to the red category is in everyone’s best interest. With this interest in mind, the governor implemented ten new measures to curb the spread.
These new measures include:
- A decrease in mobility in Cancun, Playa del Carmen and Tulum, including the closure of roads and main avenues and transit limits between 12:00 am and 5:00 am.
- Greater vigilance towards the adherence of protocols and public transportation capacity. In case of non-compliance by drivers, sanctions will be contemplated.
- Detection tests will be increased in 10 points with the highest concentration of people, vehicles, bus stops, commercial plazas and neighborhoods in Cancun.
- The closing hours for businesses in the northern zone of the state were revised, requiring them to close no later than 11:00 pm.
- Vaccination of 40-49-year-old people will begin and immunization of tourism personnel will continue.
- Increase the use of technological tools for the consultation of relevant information on the behavior of the virus.
- The neighborhoods with most active cases and points of high contagion will be identified, and the public will be notified through an electronic portal.
- Avoiding social gatherings where preventive measures are relaxed. Operations will be intensified to detect and sanction social gatherings.
- Candidates and political parties were requested to avoid crowds.
- Municipal authorities were urged to respect the established measures and take care of citizens in public spaces.
Because of its touristic importance and proximity to Central America, it is essential for the state to limit community spread. These measures align themselves with federal recommendations stated since the beginning of the pandemic.