Authorities in Morelos have warned that red light restrictions will be enforced if citizens’ compliance with current coronavirus rules doesn’t improve by Wednesday.

Health Minister Marco Antonio Cantú Cuevas said Monday that Morelos will return to lockdown restrictions in 48 hours if people don’t comply with social distancing recommendations and continue to attend parties and gatherings with family and friends.

He added that red light restrictions could be implemented if there is not a significant reduction in citizens’ mobility generally.

“We want to make a call to the public and [issue] a warning due to the situation the state finds itself it. While there are [hospital] beds [now], that could change at any time,” Cantú said.

If people’s behavior doesn’t change by Wednesday, “we’ll inevitably return to the red stoplight” risk level, he said.

State Civil Protection chief Enrique Clement Gallardo said that patrols to ensure compliance with coronavirus rules will be increased in light of a recent increase in the number of violations reported.

Morelos, which borders coronavirus epicenter Mexico City, is one of just five states that have recorded fewer than 10,000 confirmed coronavirus cases since the beginning of the pandemic. But its proximity to the capital, which has recorded almost 300,000 cases, places it at considerable risk of a large outbreak.

Cantú said that some bars, hotels and restaurants have increased the risk of the coronavirus situation worsening in Morelos – currently an orange light “high” risk state, according to the federal stoplight system – because they have failed to comply with health protocols and respect maximum capacity limits, currently set at 50%.

The health minister also said that people defied coronavirus rules to attend parties and gatherings las weekend, adding that commercial centers were full with Christmas shoppers.

“We were witnesses to a lot of irregularities over the past two days that don’t correspond to the emergency situation,” Cantú said.

“If we don’t pay attention [to the coronavirus rules], there will be no way for us to help you,” he said, referring to the possibility that hospitals will be overwhelmed and some people sick with the virus won’t be able to find a bed.

Federal data shows that 42% of general care hospital beds set aside for coronavirus patients in Morelos are currently occupied while 24% of those with ventilators are in use. The state has recorded 1,574 Covid-19 deaths, according to state data.

Source: Milenio (sp)