Riviera Maya, Q.R. — The Federal Commission for the Protection against Sanitary Risks (Cofepris) reports that according to the results of the Clean Beaches program corresponding to the summer period 2021, 99.5 percent of the country’s beaches are classified as suitable.
The Protección Contra Riesgos Sanitarios (Cofepris) reports the country’s beaches meet the levels of enterococci safety established by the World Health Organization (WHO).
State health authorities and the National Network of Public Health Laboratories, in coordination with the commission, analyzed more than 1,300 water samples from 199 beaches in 57 tourist destinations in the 17 coastal states in order to determine whether or not they represent a health risk.
The results of the tests carried out with seawater indicated that 198 beaches are suitable for recreational use, meeting the requirement of having 200 or fewer enterococci per 100 milliliters of water.
Playa Hermosa in Ensenada, Baja California exceeded the limits established by the most probable number methodology (MPN), 200 MPN / 100 milliliters of enterococci, and was categorized as a beach not suitable for recreational use.
This level of consideration of suitable and unsuitable beaches, used by institutions to establish whether or not a beach implies a sanitary risk, is established in accordance with WHO guidelines, which is 200 enterococci per 100 milliliters of water.
The commission emphasizes that the water quality measure does not mean an opening of the beaches or of the safety in them to be visited, considering the declaration of health emergency due to COVID-19.
Three beaches in Tonalá, Chiapas did not present results, as did none of the 31 beaches in the state of Guerrero. Ten from Jalisco, 13 from Michoacán and 15 from Oaxaca were also absent due to unfavorable weather conditions. Once weather improves, authorities will carry out the samplings and post their findings.
