MEXICO一 Mexico is one of more than 115 countries that the U.S. State Department has issued a level four, do not travel, advisory based on a recommendation from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention that outlines current health issues for travelers.
“Level 4: Do not travel to Mexico due to COVID-19. Exercise increased caution in Mexico due to crime and kidnapping. Some areas have increased risk,” said an April 20 advisory.
In an April 30 health update, the state department reported that as of April 26, Chihuahua, Mexico City, and Mexico State had reported the highest number of active cases and Chihuahua and Tabasco were the only states reporting hospital occupancy rates above 30 percent for regular COVID-19 beds.
Mexico has implemented a national spotlight system, which tracks the gradual phase-in of activities using a four-color system to indicate risk level with red as the highest risk level and green the lowest.
The U.S. State Department released an update of states and their corresponding level that was up to date through May 9.
There are no states currently with a red level of advisory. Six states were listed under orange, the second highest risk level, including Baja California Sur.
Hotels, restaurants, barber shops, open-air parks, gyms are at 50 percent capacity with shopping malls, churches, cinemas, theaters, museums, and cultural events at 25 percent.
Twenty states are designated under yellow which allows for outdoor spaces to be open on a regular basis and enclosed spaces can operate at a reduced capacity.
Aside from the health advisory, the department has issued level three, reconsider travel, and level two, exercise increased caution, advisories for several states in Mexico because of increased crimes and kidnapping in those areas.
There are four levels of travel advisory with do not travel at the top and exercise normal precautions at the bottom.
There are five states listed under “do not travel,” the highest level of travel advisory, due to the state of crime in the regions. Colima, Guerrero, Michoacán, Sinaloa, and Tamaulipas are experiencing increased violent crime and widespread gang activity.
There are eleven states listed under “reconsider travel,” the second highest level of travel advisory, Chihuahua, Coahuila, Durango, Jalisco, México, Morelos, Nayarit, Nuevo León, San Luis Potosí, Sonora, and Zacatecas.
The state department warns travelers that they have a limited ability to provide emergency services to U.S. citizens in parts of Mexico. To learn more, see the U.S. State Department website at https://bit.ly/3f4hZ4R.