Quintana Roo is the latest state to drop its face mask mandate due to a much-improved coronavirus situation.
Governor Carlos Joaquín announced Tuesday that the use of masks is now optional in the Caribbean coast state, home to popular tourist destinations such as Cancún, Playa del Carmen, Tulum and Cozumel.
He said in a video message that there hadn’t been a COVID-19 death in the state for more than five weeks and that average new case numbers were below 20 per day.
Joaquín recommended that people with medical conditions such as diabetes or high blood pressure continue using masks when they are unable to keep a safe distance from others. He also advocated the continued use of masks on public transit, in enclosed spaces that are not well ventilated and in crowded areas.
In addition, it’s preferable that workers such as waitstaff, cashiers and medical personnel continue using masks, the governor said, adding that a mask mandate could be reintroduced if the coronavirus situation demands one.
“Remember, [the use of] face masks is a personal responsibility. Use one if you believe you could be exposed … to COVID,” he concluded.
The end of Quintana Roo’s mandatory face mask rule came the same day that Jalisco’s mask mandate officially concluded.
Several other states have dropped mask mandates – at least for open-air spaces – including Baja California Sur, Baja California, Mexico City, Tamaulipas and Nuevo León.
Mexico went through a large omicron-fueled fourth wave of infections that peaked in January with almost 1 million new cases recorded.
The Health Ministry said Tuesday that the pandemic was continuing with “minimal activity,” noting that there was an average of 370 cases per day over the past week.
With reports from El Universal
