Message from Governor Carlos Joaquín on the Plan “Reactivemos Quintana Roo”.
July 23, 2020
Dear Friends,
Here and now, I want to be clear about two essential aspects of the current stage of our economic recovery.
First, let’s remember that we are at the threshold of the economic recovery.
What we do today will influence the future of the state’s economic growth.
We have a clear course.
We have decided to resume the functions work and daily life in a gradual, orderly and responsible manner.
This means strict adherence to prevention and health protection measures, in order to save lives.
The indicators with which we initiated the economic activities are positive. There is confidence in Quintana Roo and its people.
Production investment has been reactivated and jobs have been gradually re-established.
Tourists are returning. From the 550 daily flight operations we had a year ago, the pandemic reduced airlift to 6 daily flights.
Today, we already have 150 daily operations.
The construction industry is once again bringing in formal jobs.
If we act seriously, today’s hope will be tomorrow’s certainty.
Secondly, we must remember that, since the beginning of the health emergency, everyone’s priority has been to carry out actions and strategies to save lives and protect families.
We all know that, in the new stage of economic recovery, the challenge is to live with the virus and reduce the speed of contagion, while gradually increasing our work activity.
I have said repeatedly that this does not mean that the risk of contagion has diminished.
We cannot have a false sense of security.
The virus is still with us, and it’s important that we take care of ourselves even more.
Everyone needs to stand strong, take care of themselves and others, with the absolute certainty that what we are doing is saving lives.
Some may be tempted to give up.
But there can be no such possibility.
We are fighting an enemy who is still working against us.
Although hygiene, protection and social distancing measures are progressing slowly, there is an obvious but often ignored phenomenon in the dynamics of virus transmission.
We take care of ourselves on the street, at work, but we forget to do it at home.
It is common to see people with masks on the street, even with face shields; people who keep their distance at the supermarket and clean their place at work.
But at home not everyone does the same, and when these people arrive home, they let their guard down.
The street, public transportation, work and home must be treated as a single unit.
If one person takes a risk, the whole family is at risk.
A small network of contacts can spread the virus with alarming speed.
If a son visits his girlfriend, and then has coffee with a neighbor, and together they visit a schoolmate who is infected without symptoms, and then returns home and hugs his mother and grandfather, he could end up infecting everyone.
The strongest have few or no symptoms; the weakest get sick and even die.
It may sound ridiculous, but it’s not.
It’s not a joke or a hypothesis.
Today, in our state, for every 10 people who unfortunately die, 8 of these people are age 50 or older.
They are mothers, fathers, and grandparents.
That didn’t happen in the months of lockdown while we stayed at home.
Many of them have been infected by their young relatives at home.
Epidemiologists are constantly pointing this out.
The contagion has a chain effect that spreads very quickly.
However, any break in the chain interrupts the potential for transmission to others.
On our own, we must continue to wash our hands and observe other sanity measures, but in public and amongst other people, we have to maintain social distancing.
Also, it takes time to see the results of these measures.
While it may not be easy to understand how one family gathering can derail the plans of the government and society, it absolutely does.
You can’t avoid or outsmart the virus by getting a haircut, working with a team on a school project, eating at a street stall, waiting in line at the bank, or making unnecessary trips to the supermarket.
The virus does not forgive those who try to deceive it.
I must inform you that once again our state is seeing a significant increase in the number of infections and a serious reduction in hospital capacity.
If we do not take measures to drastically reduce the number of infections, the health system will soon be overwhelmed.
Also, our medical personnel are very tired.
We should all be aware that doctors, nurses, paramedics, laboratory technicians and all medical personnel have been working very hard for several months, caring for patients and even risking their own health.
The Red Cross has done a formidable job in the care and the transfer of patients, but they are still facing a large number of new cases.
I extend my appreciation and gratitude to them.
This is largely due to the fact that compliance with sanitary measures has been relaxed and many people are no longer taking care of themselves as they should.
The virus can be controlled. But to achieve this goal, we cannot allow disorder and indifference to take over our actions.
If we want to deal with the pandemic, we must make a commitment to take care of ourselves and others.
Unfortunately, not everyone is acting with responsibility and solidarity.
Some establishments are not respecting the capacity allowed at the state traffic light.
Some merchants do not respect healthy distance measures.
Some people have revived social gatherings and are looking for ways to evade the new rules.
Some citizens have not understood that the new normal requires a real change of habits.
Precisely, the neighborhoods and places that register an increase in the number of infections, are those where less care is taken.
I reiterate that we are not emerging from the pandemic; we are walking on the streets with the pandemic, because the virus is among us.
Let me be clear: if we do not take care of ourselves and take sanitary measures seriously, we can lose, in a short time, everything we have gained through effort and sacrifice. If we do not take care ourselves we will be right back where we started with this pandemic
Frankly speaking: the old normality no longer exists.
If we do not respect sanitary measures and the number of infections continues to grow, we are very close to returning to the red light and returning to confinement.
Sanitary measures are not optional, they are mandatory.
The new normality that we are living in requires that we adapt new habits for ourselves, at home, in public transportation, at work and in public spaces.
If we do not take measures to drastically reduce the number of infections, very soon, the health system will be overwhelmed.
We must each do our part. And this important task begins at home.
In the case of going out, we must all use the mouth mask correctly, keep a healthy distance and wash our hands frequently.
I take this opportunity to announce that we will provide support to establishments that comply with sanitary provisions.
We have already started the strategy of “Médico en tu Chamba” – Doctor at Your Job – in the construction sector.
To them, we pledge our full support.
The strategy is for orientation and training. Not to inspect or supervise,
We will also intensify the presence of the girls and boys in the yellow caps, whose work I urge to wear the mask, wash their hands, but above all, to keep a healthy distance, has been well received by our fellow citizens.
There will be a greater restriction of mobility, with increased controls on roads and highways, in ports and bus terminals, and even in airports.
Transfers should only be for activities that are allowed in the state traffic light system.
We will present new technologies to alert those who have had contact with infected people, and offering strategic information through the “Reactivemos Quintana Roo” portal.
We reiterate that social events, parties, or activities that, by their nature, concentrate people and cause physical closeness are not allowed.
Compliance with economic reopening protocols in workplaces will also be monitored more strictly.
Those who insist on not abiding by the established sanitary measures will be subject to strong sanctions.
We will not tolerate any disturbance of the social order and preventive measures that keep our citizens safe.
It is necessary to understand that there are consequences for those who decide not to comply with the measures.
There will be no exceptions.
We will not allow the irresponsibility of some to put the health and life of all at risk.
It is time for everyone to do their part.
Rest assured that just as I invite you to do your part, I will do mine.
Friends:
Here and now, letting down our guard involves seeing our loved ones fall ill or die.
It also risks paralyzing our economic activity again.
Here and now, we must take care of ourselves and the people we love the most.
For this great mission, there is no small effort.
The biggest changes are generated little by little, but with consistency.
We have shown that when we unite around a shared goal, there is no adversity to overcome.
I am fully convinced that with responsibility we will once again become national leaders in job creation and economic development, but in a new way.
Here and now, let’s put together our actions with responsibility and conscience, and be a single voice, a single effort, a single collective, because only together, We Will Succeed!
Thank you very much!