Restaurants, hotels and authorities in Mazatlán are preparing for crowds of Holy Week tourists, even as Sinaloa remains at medium-risk yellow on the federal government’s coronavirus stoplight map.

Authorities have announced a range of safety measures for the holiday. Julio Birrueta, the director of the Association of Hotels and Tourist Businesses, said the hotel sector will comply with the municipal directive to cap hotel occupancy at 65%.

It is expected that all available hotel capacity will be filled during the week, according to Luis Terán Tirado, secretary of economic development, tourism and fishing.

“We hope Mazatlán will be full, with the preventative measures for Covid-19, with a windfall of revenue close to 600 million pesos [US $28.9 million] this Semana Santa,” Terán said.

Meanwhile, restaurants are increasing their capacity from 40% to 65%.

Ricardo Velarde Cárdenas of Canirac, the national restaurant association, said the change was made in preparation for the large number of visitors expected.

Transit police will implement traffic redirection measures to accommodate the influx of tourists, which is expected to generate an increase in traffic of up to 90% starting next Wednesday.

At the state level, Health Secretary Efrén Encinas Torres noted that based on 10 health indicators including the number of Covid-19 patients, hospital occupancy and mortality rates, Sinaloa is stable.

“Since last year, we have all learned to follow the sanitary measures and protocols to take care of ourselves. One factor [in the stability of the risk rating] is that the population now knows how to take precautions, and it is doing just that,” Encinas said, adding that Sinaloa currently has only 14% of hospital beds occupied.

Sinaloa has recorded more than 5,600 confirmed Covid-19 deaths. Encinas asked that residents continue to take precautions such as using face masks, practicing social distancing and washing hands frequently.

Sources: Noroeste (sp), El Sol de Mazatlán (sp)