Saturday, September 13, 2025

Quintana Roo on cusp of going red on coronavirus stoplight map

Quintana Roo is at high risk of regressing to red on the state’s coronavirus stoplight map due to a recent increase in cases, Governor Carlos Joaquín said Thursday.

In a video message posted to social media, Joaquín noted that the entire state is currently high-risk orange but warned that if residents don’t take care, it was “very probable” that Quintana Roo will switch to maximum-risk red next week, “which would mean lockdown, closures and cancellations,” he said.

The governor said that new case numbers have been on the rise in the Caribbean coast state for five weeks. According to federal Health Ministry estimates, there are currently 945 active cases in Quintana Roo, the fourth highest total among Mexico’s 32 states.

“We knew that during Easter week there were great risks. We knew that there could be a large number of infections, and unfortunately, that’s what happened,” Joaquín said. “There is a significant number of infections, and hospital occupancy has increased,” he said.

According to state government data, there were 163 hospitalized coronavirus patients on Thursday. Benito Juárez, the municipality that includes Cancún, has the highest hospital occupancy level, with 25% of the beds set aside for coronavirus patients being used.

The occupancy level is 16% in Solidaridad, which includes Playa del Carmen. In Tulum, it’s 8%, and 6% in Cozumel. In Othon P. Blanco, where the state capital Chetumal is located, occupancy is at 5%.

“We’re not yet at alert levels, … occupancy is still at green-light levels but … yesterday we had 26 people going into the hospital,” Joaquín said, highlighting that the figure increased from admissions in previous days of 15, 16 and 18.

“… We relaxed the [health] measures, we lost control, we reduced the level of responsibility at … businesses,” the governor said, adding that while proprietors who are not behaving correctly might be able to avoid the authorities, avoiding the coronavirus is very difficult.

“We’re facing a very significant risk. Going to red means lockdown; lockdown means closures,” he said, highlighting the impact that it would have on the economy and employment.

Quintana Roo, where the state government follows its own stoplight system rather than that of the federal government, has not been at the red-light level since last August, when maximum risk restrictions applied in the southern half of the state.

The state has recorded 24,626 confirmed coronavirus cases since the beginning of the pandemic and 2,677 Covid-19 deaths, according to Quintana Roo data.

Mexico’s confirmed case tally currently stands at 2.37 million, while the official death toll is 219,901.

Source: Reforma (sp) 

Have something to say? Paid Subscribers get all access to make & read comments.
A soldier records the passage of Armed Forces helicopters during rehearsals for the Military Air Parade marking the 215th anniversary of the start of the Mexican War of Independence

Mexico’s week in review: Market confidence, China tariff hikes and military scandal

0
Other headlines included a move by Peru to declare Mexico's president a persona non grata, a one-year high for the peso and fatal roadway accidents that left over 100 people wounded.
News quiz

The MND News Quiz of the Week: September 13th

0
Trash, tariffs and tourism: Have you been following the news this week?
presdent sheinbaum in Sept 2025

Sheinbaum on the defense after China charges Mexico with enacting tariffs under US coercion

31
While rejecting any "appeasement ... toward unilateral bullying” (a clear reference to Trump), the president indicated a willingness to negotiate.
BETA Version - Powered by Perplexity