In Cancun, the outdoor mask mandate was removed in March and now the indoor mask mandate will be removed too if cases stay low. The removal of the indoor requirement was recently hinted at by Governor Carlos Joaquín González, who also mentioned relaxing other preventative measures as well.
The removal of these protective measures will be contingent on the data that the government receives regarding the number of cases in the state following the Easter holiday. The Governor stated that “We must bear in mind that, in the last two years, after the vacation periods we had outbreaks, which led us to a crisis.” He further stated that the results of the incoming data from that time period will be what determines the decision-making process.
Cancun has hosted more than a million visitors in the last few weeks from all over the world, particularly from the U.S., where both indoor and outdoor mask mandates have already been lifted. In some areas in these places, infection rates are still significantly high so the possibility for transmission is still there. It is important to determine how this will affect the people of Cancun before taking any steps to relax any mandates.
Masks in Cancun are still required indoors and in public transportation vehicles so visitors should pack a mask and be prepared to wear it in those situations. Visitors are not required to submit a negative Covid test, nor are they required to be vaccinated, which is no doubt part of the reason for continuing the indoor mandate for so long. Now, with Covid-19 infections steadily declining and no increase currently being detected, it may be time for that mandate to be removed.
Cancun has “been in the green” of the epidemiological traffic light that Mexico uses to determine the level of transmission rates, which translates to low transmission in the city. Currently, the state of Quintana Roo, which is the state that Cancun is in, is only averaging about 7 cases per day. In addition to cases being low, the vaccination rate in the state, and in Mexico in its entirety, is very high. At this time 90 percent of the population over the age of 18 is at least partially vaccinated and efforts to get even more vaccines out to the public are still underway. Vaccines are also being offered to visitors at the airport and in some hotels in the Cancun hotel zone.
The outdoor mask mandate was removed in March, which allowed the removal of masks on public streets, on the beaches, and in other outdoor spaces. This move put the state of Quintana Roo in the position of first in Mexico to remove the outdoor mandate. Known for being one of the freer states in the country, Quintana Roo is continuing to hold that title by relaxing these mask requirements.
In an effort to maintain a low number of infections the state is encouraging second and third doses and will even soon begin to offer a fourth to elderly adults in hospitals and state health centers. One goal of the state is to get to 60 percent of the adult population having their third dose, which would significantly help in guaranteeing the continued low number of cases.
The state of Quintana Roo, and in particular the city of Cancun, has bounced back rather quickly from the Covid-19 pandemic. This is despite the fact that they have seen record numbers of tourists traveling to the area. All indications show that Cancun will continue to stay at the top in regards to returning to pre-pandemic conditions, even as they continue to welcome tourists from all over the world.
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