The third wave of COVID-19 hits Cancun and Los Cabos, gems of international tourism

A third wave of coronavirus fueled by The highly contagious delta variant hits two of Mexico’s most popular tourist destinations on opposite coasts: Los Cabos in the Pacific and Cancun in the Caribbean.

In Cancun, cases have exploded to the point that the Hard Rock Hotel has reserved two floors for guests with symptoms. Some hotels say they are offering discounts to people in quarantine until they are no longer contagious.

In Baja California Sur, where Los Cabos is located, authorities are rushing again to add beds to overcrowded hospitals, which last week reached 75% of capacity before plummeting to 62% on Thursday. Beaches in the city of La Paz have been ordered to close, although local media show many are ignoring the order.

Since Mexico did not restrict travel during the pandemic, domestic and foreign tourists have flocked to tourist areas. In June, 557,400 passengers landed in Los Cabos, a 15% increase from June 2019. Cancun received just over 2 million, slightly below pre-pandemic levels, but well above 175,000 visitors last year.

“The delta variant has a strong presence in the Yucatan Peninsula, particularly in Quintana Roo and Baja California Sur, where around 80% of new tests are now delta.”said Alejandro Macías, who oversaw the H1N1 outbreak in Mexico in 2009.

Like much of Latin America, Mexico has been affected by covid and is among the worst affected countries in the world. In a devastating second wave in January, paramedics had to drive for hours in search of hospital beds and oxygen cylinders. The scarcity of evidence in the country has even led the government to admit that the deaths are well above the official figure, which is estimated to be 540,000.

Despite promises of special care for people who contract the virus on vacation, some visitors tell a different story. Lindy Ray from Durant, Oklahoma, traveled to Cancun in early June to celebrate her honeymoon with her husband Trey. “We were very happy to be able to spend time alone on the beach”, he said in a message.

Everything went as promised and they had a great time. But they started to feel bad when it was time to get tested for covid to return to the United States. It came out positive.

They were escorted to their room, where they had to stay another week and agree not to leave. The hotel said they were going to lower their rate, but charged them almost the full rate.

“We could only order room service, there were only 5-6 items we could choose from,” Ray said. “We asked for medicine several times and they brought us three of the six things we asked for. The room was not cleaned after we tested positive. We ran out of toilet paper for a few days. “

What is happening on the coasts is also reflected in Mexico City, where Health Minister Oliva López said on Monday that the delta variant is now predominant. Deaths remain relatively low, with around 69% of the city’s adult population having received at least one vaccine, he said on television. Hospitals are filling up: the occupancy rate has fallen from 7% to 28% in just one month.

The capital has administered more vaccines as a percentage of the population than any other region except the border states of Baja California and Chihuahua, where a campaign to reopen the border with the United States has led to a huge campaign vaccination.

Across Mexico, only about 31% received at least one dose, according to Bloomberg Vaccine Tracker. In June, when a peak was detected, the czar covid of Mexico, Hugo López Gatell, said the federal government will send more vaccines to Baja Sur and Quintana Roo. So far, around 65% of adults in Quintana Roo and 50% in Cancun have received at least one dose, according to official figures.

Mexico added 16,244 new cases of covid on Thursday, marking the third day in a row that cases have seen the largest daily increase since January. Deaths increased by 419, also the largest increase in almost two months.

No new lockdown is planned, López Gatell said at President Andrés Manuel López Obrado’s daily press conference on Tuesday. “People are tired after so many months of pandemic”He said, adding that the government is ready to add more beds if necessary. “We cannot ask people to reduce their mobility like we did at the beginning.”

Capacity limits

Despite the increase in infections in Cancun, 270 hotels have been exempted from a 50% occupancy limit, allowing them to operate at 70% of their capacity, according to Roberto Cintrón, director of the hotel association in the region.

Quintana Roo’s economy is almost entirely dependent on tourism, Cintrón said, so hotels have strict health protocols in place. “Tourists have a very different experience,” he said in an interview, coldly dismissing concerns about the increase in cases.

“It is important to note that infections are occurring among young people in the region,” he said. “We have enough hospital beds for them, if needed. But that does not happen with tourists ”.

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