Dear Friends,
Since the beginning of the pandemic, both society and the government have worked as one team under the plan “Together We Will Succeed.”
Remember that this plan has three main goals:
One: Save lives.
Two: Protect and support families.
Three: get the economy back on track.
Today we are on the threshold of entering a new normal.
We must be very clear that this next step does not mean lowering our guard – we must remain disciplined.
Please stay home until it’s your turn to go out!
In a few days, our state will begin to open up in an effort to revive the economy. Staggered portions of the population will be allowed outside in a gradual and orderly manner.
This plan, called “reactivating Quintana Roo,” is designed to reactivate the economy while also ensuring the health and livelihood of the people of Quintana Roo.
The strategy works to reduce overcrowding during social and economic activities, thus diminishing the spread of the virus and the consequent impact on production.
Initially, only essential economic activities will be open – including fundamental sectors such as tourism, construction, farming, fishing and transportation.
I want to emphasize that our plan considers tourism as a fundamental sector of the Quintana Roo economy. This was a clear choice for us because for every 10 pesos produced in the state, more than half stem from tourism.
Over time, all sectors will open up in a gradual, orderly and safe manner, following a similar traffic light plan as proposed by the federal government.
The Quintana Roo traffic light system has four phases identified by the colors, red, orange, yellow and green. Each color symbolizes a step-in economic reopening.
Each color change is in accordance to the level of active virus cases in the location and the medical and hospital capacity available there.
The Quintana Roo-specific traffic light system is innovative for three reasons:
First, it has a regional approach that recognizes the health, economic and social dynamics of our state. Establishing one process for the southern region and another for the northern region of the state.
Second, it measures the risk of infection, not only by sector, but also by economic activity. We defined a level of openness for each one of these activities, depending on the risk posed to workers and customers.
And third, it establishes a simple way to measure the level at which each business can open.
For example, hotels are measured by percentage of rooms that can be occupied, Restaurants are measured by the number of tables they can offer and Transportation is measured by number of seats that can be provided.
Some additional activities are allowed, as long as the level of contact between people is kept at a safe distance. Activities that require people to be in close proximity will remain closed until the traffic light is green.
As we open up this first week of June, we are counting on you all to implement and respect these protocols.
Only essential workers can return to work, those who are not deemed essential should remain at home, including people from vulnerable groups.
Those who go out, must strictly follow basic hygiene and social distancing measures while commuting and while at work.
As of June 8, each region will gradually open based on its personal traffic light color. Weekly traffic light updates will be published on the government website.
It is my responsibility as governor of the state and as a parent, to make this very clear: reopening does not mean we can immediately return to life as it was before the pandemic.
We will continue to live with the coronavirus for the foreseeable future, as there is still no vaccine to protect us.
We currently have enough hospital capacity to combat Covid-19, but if we begin to act irresponsibly, the number of sick and hospitalized will increase and we will have to suspend the reopening.
As long as we all take care of each other, we can shift the traffic light from red to the green.
Businessmen and retailers are key and their solidarity and leadership will allow us to move in an orderly manner towards total opening.
We will use the best tools and protocols to evaluate the spread of the virus such as daily questionnaires from the health authority, rapid virus testing and vigorous contact tracing for those who show symptoms.
Dear friends:
Covid-19 has put the world on pause.
It slowed down the speed at which we all moved.
It has put those who we love most at risk.
To our parents, sons and daughters, to our families, our companies and businesses, our jobs, to all of Quintana Roo.
It exposed the inequality, which makes us vulnerable.
It exposed our failures, but also the enormous strength of our people.
We know that we are a special generation, one that has seen the end one millennium and the beginning of another.
I call upon you to overcome this pandemic as the starting point for building a better world.
One in which we place new value our earth, our home and our work.
We must accept one-another as we are, without exclusion, discrimination, or violence, setting an example for generations to come. We must show them how to be tolerant, supportive, responsible and hard working.
May they learn in a clear and convincing way, that only Together We Succeed!