Despite a continued rise in cases of the coronavirus, Jalisco Governor Enrique Alfaro Ramírez says that his state may be ready to ease pandemic-related restrictions as early as May 15. 

The forthcoming “Economic Reactivation Plan for Jalisco” will incorporate the advice of businesses, union leaders, specialists, academics and researchers, and will weigh both the economic and health consequences of a gradual reopening of the state, Alfaro announced.

Jalisco, with a population of around 8.25 million, has been under quarantine since March 17, a week before the federal government announced nationwide stay-at-home guidelines. It saw its first two confirmed coronavirus cases on March 14, and currently has a rate of infection of 3.6 per 100,000 residents. 

“We are going to start a process of a gradual return to a new normality; we understand that there is enormous economic pressure on many families,” the governor said.

The plan to reopen the state is still very much in draft form, he emphasized, and will depend on how the spread of the virus unfolds, but the governor said the public discussion over terms of lifting the quarantine could begin as early as next week. 

While health concerns remain at the forefront, economic pressure is also a factor weighing heavily in the governor’s mind. Measures to help small businesses, especially in the tourist sector, will be implemented in order to kickstart financial recovery. However, Alfaro cautioned that strict sanitary protocols would be the backbone of any plan for the gradual reopening of his state.  

The seven most affected areas of the country are Mexico City with 4,152 cases, the State of Mexico (2,455), Baja California (1,301), Sinaloa (795), Tabasco (819), Quintana Roo (653) and Puebla with 552.

Currently, Jalisco has 303 confirmed cases of the coronavirus and recorded 25 deaths, whereas 87 people have recovered.

Source: El Occidental (sp), Infobae (sp)