Seniors who have received their second dose of Covid-19 vaccine can now return to work packing groceries in supermarkets, according to the National Institute for the Elderly (Inapam).

The return to work should be gradual, voluntary and in accordance with the coronavirus stoplight risk map in each state. Seniors who have had a respiratory illness within the past month should not return to work, Inapam said.

Major supermarket chains announced in March 2020 that seniors would no longer be permitted to work as baggers to prevent the spread of Covid-19 among vulnerable sectors of the public. The decision represented an economic blow to seniors who supplemented their pensions with tips from shoppers.

For many seniors, the tips were their main source of income, according to Elizeth Altamirano López, a gerontologist and psychologist with the Mexico City Council for the Prevention and Eradication of Discrimination. Losing their jobs can also take a toll on seniors’ mental health, she said.

The Mexico City government announced last month that it would provide economic support payments to seniors who had worked as grocery baggers in the amount of 2,200 pesos (US $109).

Source: Milenio (sp)