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Mayor announces pilot program for reopening of Playa del Carmen beaches

Playa del Carmen, Q.R. — The mayor of Playa del Carmen says the city is preparing a pilot program to have locals be able to return to beaches. In a statement, mayor Laura Beristain Navarrete said the pilot program will be based on the experience recently shared with Los Cabos (Baja California Sur).

She says the pilot program, which will run for 10 days in August, will be developed with help from Civil Protection and the Director of Physical and Mental Health Héctor González Rodríguez, to ensure the reopening of beaches is orderly and socially responsible.

She admits that the partial reopening of activities has caused tourists and residents to congregate on the beaches, therefore, city council will create and monitor the pilot program that will allow access. She says authorities will be monitoring protocols to ensure prevention measures for COVID-19 infections are respected during the new normal.

Beristain Navarrete also pointed out that along with healthy distancing, alcoholic beverages will not be permitted on beaches to avoid garbage pollution.

Héctor González Rodríguez reports that although the contagion curve in the municipality has remained stable, coronavirus continues to circulate, explaining that there is a continued risk of transmission. He says regardless of the color of the epidemiological light, health protocols cannot be relaxed.

The director of health says that the Covid-19 transmission rate in Solidaridad has decreased as has the hospital occupancy rate, which is currently at 41 percent. He stressed that these figures could help the municipality reach a yellow epidemiological light in coming weeks, which would mean the opening of more activities.

Beristain Navarrete acknowledged that beaches are a fundamental part of Solidaridad’s economic life, which is why it is important to have the commitment of citizens to act responsibly, which she notes, is a shared responsibility between society and the government.

The official statement came after an interview last week when she announced the reopening of the municipality’s beaches to local residents. The pilot program for the reopening of Playa del Carmen beaches will run from August 20 to August 30.