April 23, 2020
Dear Friends,
It is time to take the next step to combat the COVID-19 pandemic.
We are now in Phase 3, a period in which there is an accelerated spread of the virus. It is estimated that each infected person can infect 5 other people within minutes. We can all be carriers without showing symptoms of COVID-19 and infect more people without knowing it.
Undoubtedly, there will be an increase in confirmed cases, which will result in a greater need for space in hospitals and unfortunately, a higher probability of more deaths.
We must understand that fighting the pandemic is everyone’s responsibility.
For this reason, the public and our state government must continue working together to slow down the spread of COVID-19.
We urge the public to please follow three basic tasks which we already know are critical to preventing the spread of illness:
1.- Strengthen hygiene measures, such as continually washing your hands with soap and water, not touching your face and not greeting anyone with a hug or kiss.
2.- Always keep a distance of at least one meter and a half from the people around us, and lastly,
3.- Stay home
We are all exposed, because the virus makes no distinctions.
And it will affect with greater force our most vulnerable citizens.
Those who suffer from diabetes, obesity and high blood pressure, must take greater measures to take care of themselves, because their lives are at risk. In addition, the elderly, our grandparents, our parents, pregnant women, people suffering from chronic respiratory diseases, heart or kidney diseases, are also very vulnerable to the coronavirus.
We must help each other to increase personal hygiene measures, practice social distancing, and stay at home.
For the next stage, the government will maintain and strengthen its 5 actions program for the well-being of our state’s residents.
We will be with you all the time.
We must ensure that no family in the state is hungry.
The government will continue to provide you with food at home.
We are about to complete the first delivery of more than 500,000 food parcels in the neighborhoods and towns that need it most during the month of April.
In 17 days, we have helped more than 427 thousand families in the 11 municipalities of the state, with the support of more than one thousand brigadiers, whom I want to thank for their courage, professionalism and commitment to Quintana Roo.
The State Government will initiate a second round of food delivery for the month of May, in coordination with SEGALMEX (Federal Government), to the municipalities of Cozumel, Benito Juárez, Solidaridad, Puerto Morelos, Isla Mujeres, and Tulum, bringing aid to communities whose incomes have been disrupted by this pandemic. We expect to bring aid to 312,000 families.
At the same time, the State Government will reach the municipalities of Othón P. Blanco, Felipe Carrillo Puerto, José María Morelos, Bacalar and Lázaro Cárdenas to continue supporting the families that need it most during the month of May.
The State Government will continue to ensure there is access to water.
We will continue without cuts or immediate charges for municipal services to more than 500 thousand homes.
There will be exemptions on fines and surcharges for water payments during the month of May, for those who maintain a consumption of less than 10 cubic meters, or 10,000 liters per month.
It is important to take more care of the use of water in these times of social isolation.
During the month of May, the support of the State Government will continue to pay half of the bimonthly electricity bill for more than 500 thousand homes that maintain a consumption of up to 250 kilowatts per month.
We are talking with gas companies to extend our family support program with domestic gas during the month of May. We expect to share good news on this very soon.
Finally, all four services in the family health support program are still in effect, highlighting the expansion of coverage of the “Médico en tu Casa” program, which is mainly focused at the moment on tending to patients who may be especially vulnerable to Covid 19.
We will maintain strict social distancing in public areas, reduction of vehicular traffic and limiting the mobility of people in cities.
For those who go out for essential activities or to stock up on groceries, the use of masks is mandatory whenever you leave your home.
In the event that masks are nowhere to be found, the police will provide them in the mobility limitation filters.
Restrictions for pedestrian circulation will also be maintained for people who do not carry out essential activities, those who are not shopping for provisions for their home, or who are tending to a medical emergency.
Civil disobedience, especially the refusal to wear a mask, can lead to penalties, including administrative arrest.
Other measures will include the limitation of the use of private vehicles on weekends.
We will continue to close circulation on more primary roads and install a greater number of filters in pedestrian and vehicular areas.
Public transport frequencies will be subject to further limitations, with public transportation vehicles required to circulate at only 50% capacity.
We are working hard to expand our hospital capacity.
In the state public sector hospitals, 467 hospital beds have been allocated for the exclusive use of Covid-19 patients, 188 of them have mechanical ventilation equipment and a cardiac monitor to provide care to patients who require special attention.
An additional 38 intensive care beds have been allocated for seriously ill patients.
In addition to these beds, we are adding two tents with hospital facilities for 188 beds to provide care for the same number of patients, on the periphery of the Cancun General Hospital.
One more tent with a capacity of 50 beds will be used to take care for patients who require hospitalization for any reason other than Covid-19.
In Cancun we currently have 4 hospitals, between IMSS and ISSSTE, which are assigned to care for Covid-19.
They have 328 beds for hospitalization and 34 beds in an intensive care unit, for a total of 362 beds for the municipality of Benito Juárez.
In the municipality of Tulum, the new community hospital is being enabled. It will be operated by the Ministry of National Defense, and has 30 hospital beds and 20 beds for intensive care, for a total of 50 beds for Tulum.
In the municipality of Othón P. Blanco, there are 2 public hospital units, the new Oncology Hospital and the Military Hospital, where the Covid-19 patients will be treated.
There are 65 beds that have been assigned through the Ministry of National Defense for the care of this disease; 45 of these are for intensive care.
Regarding the private sector, at the state level, there are a total of 4 hospital companies, including 7 intensive care beds and a total of 49 beds that can be used for hospitalization in the municipalities of Benito Juárez, Solidaridad, Tulum and Cozumel.
The health crisis that we face has also impacted companies and workers in the state. For that reason, we have created a new financial stimulus package for administrative facilities and financing for MYPYMES.
In this context, in the next few days we will meet with the state’s social, medical, academic, union and business sector, with the objective of making a solidarity pact that allows us to jointly face the economic effects caused by the health contingency.
We will propose the creation of an Advisory Council to accommodate the proposals of the productive sectors.
This Council will have the mission of consolidating an economic reactivation plan, which will allow Quintana Roo to protect the health of the population, while reactivating the economy, in a gradual and orderly manner.
Friends:
Failure to comply with prevention measures will not outsmart the coronavirus. By not adhering to public health rules, we will further delay the opening of our state to productive activities, meaning it will take longer to return to normal. That’s why I reiterate to you, stay home! That’s why I insist, it is impossible to cheat the coronavirus. Let’s be responsible, take care of our families, stay at home and thus, Together We Will Succeed!
