The lockdown that began April 1 in Sinaloa is being lifted and tourists will once again be welcome in the state as of Wednesday.
Governor Quirino Ordaz Coppel, accompanied by Durango Governor José Rosas Aispuro at an event in Mazatlán, announced the opening of hotels, spas, beaches, golf courses, restaurants and other tourism businesses which will be permitted to operate at 40% of their capacity.
“This reopening is quite a challenge but life goes on, and we have to know how to travel in this new normality given the lack of a vaccine for the coronavirus,” Governor Ordaz said. “The important thing is to follow these health protocols and monitor compliance, thereby strengthening the areas of surveillance and supervision.”
According to the federal coronavirus risk “stoplight” Sinaloa is one of 14 states across Mexico that are still marked as red, and at maximum risk level.
The governments of Sinaloa and Durango announced they will convene an interstate working group where they will discuss follow-up issues for the revival of tourism during the coronavirus pandemic. This will allow those who visit their neighboring state to do so knowing that they can expect the same protective measures that are in place at home.
Sinaloa Tourism Minister Oscar Pérez Barros stated that 76% of the state’s 623 hotels have already earned a coronavirus safety certification, and that number is expected to rise to 100% over the next few days.
The Durango governor said reactivating the economy is essential to financial solvency, and that thousands of people have lost or suffered a reduction in their income.
Mazatlán Mayor Luis Guillermo Benítez Torres expressed cautious approval of the move at the meeting with the governors. “We will be very aware so that this tourist reopening does not increase the spread of the coronavirus. For this reason, we will have weekly meetings to prevent it from slipping out of our hands because it would be a serious consequence for this tourist destination.”
Sinaloa’s health minister said protocols will be of the utmost priority, and stressed that both Sinaloa and Mazatlán are showing signs of stability with a downward trend in cases of infection.
As of June Monday, Sinaloa had recorded 8,111 confirmed cases of the coronavirus and had seen 1,257 deaths.
Source: Milenio (sp), El Heraldo (sp), El Sol de Mazatlán (sp)
