Tourist Companies Can Now Apply for ‘COVID-19 Free’ Certificate

Starting today, companies in the tourism sector can qualify for a Certification in Health Protection and Prevention in Tourist Facilities (CPPSIT), which guarantees compliance with health criteria imposed by the government for the phased opening of economic activity.

The aim of this certification, endorsed by the Ministry of Tourism, is to maintain the necessary sanitary measures for the prevention and containment of COVID-19 to generate confidence among national and international tourists in destinations like Cancun. Applications will be evaluated by a technical committee made up of tourism and health authorities, which will be in charge of conducting verifications through random inspections in establishments to verify if they meet with CPPSIT requirements.

Once companies have passed the inspections, they will be granted a digital certificate and their approval will be published on the website of the Ministry of Tourism. Certificates will expire in December 2020 and companies will have to renew them.

According to authorities, among the benefits that companies will obtain from this certificate is that they will be able to guarantee the implementation of good practices on health security, which will increase customer trust and loyalty and develop staff health discipline.

According to El Financiero, the COVID-Free program will require clean-up practices on the premises and social-distancing measures to reduce infection levels as much as possible. However, Marco Buendía, President of the National Chamber of the Restaurant and Spices Industry (CANIRAC), said that the program does not guarantee that the virus will disappear from the premises. “It does not mean that we will be free of the virus. The program is only so people start having confidence in restaurants and hotels and all tourist activities in Mexico City,” he said.

Not Well Informed

Outside of high tourist areas like Quintana Roo, companies in the sector do not know if the government will implement any type of protocol for reopening businesses. In an interview with El Sol de Tijuana, Julián Palombo Saucedo, President of the Tourist Operators of Tijuana, said that health authorities have not notified them of any program in this regard and they will seek a meeting this week to establish the protocols to follow to avoid further infections.