Good morning Mr. President, ladies and gentlemen, secretaries, directors, fellow governors, and Lady Head of Government.
I am here today to share our operation plan for combatting the virus with you all. A plan developed by the Federal Government and based on scientific research and best practices that will enable us to tackle the days and months to come. The reopening will be slow and occur solely based on the expert forecasts discussed in the plan.
Although it is up to each state government to audit their risk levels, I am well aware that local governments are on the frontlines and have direct knowledge of what is happening in their respective regions, towns, and cities. This insider knowledge will help inform our decisions of when and where to reactivate the economy and return to productivity
Over the next few days, we will work to resolve any of your doubts and concerns coming out of the plan, sharing additional action protocols each step of the way. In the state of Quintana Roo, it is clear that we require a gradual and very careful return to ensure everyone’s safety.
During the virus, we lost nearly 80,000 jobs, almost 22% of all jobs in Quintana Roo. Our solidarity plan was able to preserve a large majority of them, but not all. Also, nearly 8 million airline tickets were canceled since March 10. Economic stressors such as these have our government thinking about a possible reopening but it must gradual and strategic.
As outlined in the plan, our first goal remains to save lives. This includes having sufficient hospital infrastructure and providing the proper equipping for our healthcare workers and all those risking their lives on the frontlines. We are indebted to these heroes and must ensure all their hard work pays off in the end.
Our second goal is to provide economic support to families hit hard by the virus. Many lack access to basic resources, so our government is working to provide drinking water, electricity, food, gas, and home-delivery of medicine.
Since March 13, Quintana Roo reported 1,144 positive cases, but we are down to less than 300 active cases thanks to your respect and compliance of the established prevention measures. Social distancing, isolation at home, and improved hygiene measures help us keep that number low and prevent unnecessary spread. I want to thank you all personally for taking this so seriously.
Due to your efforts, we have less than 200 people hospitalized, which enables us to have sufficient hospital capacity to treat those who are sick. The fight is not over, however; and we must continue to be disciplined to ensure that we can truly recover.
Please know that our government is very much aware of the epidemic’s impact on the tourism sector. We are closely monitoring the situation and can guarantee that coming out of this, there will be new protocols for hotels, transportation, flights, theme parks, tours, and more. We are planning on how to reopen, using best practices and stringent safety measures as guidance. We hope to reopen more quickly in the Cancun and Riviera Maya regions, once safety measures are in place.
We are very proud of the execution plan outlined for you today and hope that we can all work together to combat this virus.
It is our firm belief that together, we will succeed.
Thank you.