Cancun, Q.R. — State Governor Carlos Joaquín González has clarified that establishments who have been given permission to exceed the current 50 percent maximum capacity rate need to apply the additional health protocols.
In an interview with Radio Turquesa, the governor explained that establishments that remain at the 50 percent occupancy rate as established by the state epidemiological light do not have to apply extraordinary measures of vaccinated personnel or the presentation of proof of vaccination or negative tests every third day.
He explained that given the growth of tourist activity this summer, and being limited to a 50 percent occupancy rate, the private sector, the restaurant sector in particular, has requested permission to increase that rate which, he says, was approved, but with the application of the aforementioned measures for both staff and customers.
“All workers will have to have negative tests every three days or complete vaccination schedules, the same for visitors and customers,” he said stressing that the application is done through the Federal Commission for the Protection of Sanitary Risks (Cofepris) who explained that they favor restaurants with open spaces rather than closed spaces.
In the case of eateries with closed spaces, Carlos Joaquin said that they must have “strain filters” that purify the air. He said that those who want occupancy rates greater than 50 percent must apply all these measures, mentioning that the same criteria apply to shopping centers.
The governor said that in these first two weeks of the holidays, they have had a lot of tourist activity, which has been reflected in a greater number of flight as well as in the gradual return of cruise ships. While this helps with the recovery of jobs, it implies more responsibility.
“That is why we should not relax sanitary measures, which allows us to achieve a responsible economic recovery,” he added.
Although the contagion rates in the state have increased, he said that this has not happened with hospital occupancy and death rates. In the case of this last statistic, he mentioned that the state is .5 percent below the national average.
“In hospital occupancy rates in the main hospitals in the northern area, such as the Mexican Social Security Institute (IMSS) in Playa del Carmen and the Jesús Kumate Rodríguez of Cancun, the occupancy rate is 40 percent ” he said.