State authorities in Quintana Roo shut down 34 businesses in Playa del Carmen for operating past the 11 p.m. COVID-19 business curfew.
In Quintana Roo, more than 100 businesses have been shut down or fined over the past couple of weeks for not following the new regulations.
It is not clear for how long these businesses will remain closed, but they are likely to face hefty fines.
As a result of the business curfew, areas typically overrun with late-night parties and tourists have been left virtually empty.
Affected business owners and administrators say that shutting down by 11 p.m. renders their businesses unviable and will lead to permanent closures and layoffs.
The most affected businesses include restaurants and bars, as well as retailers and vendors who make a living selling hot dogs or tacos on busy city streets.
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Other measures announced by the state government to combat the spread of COVID-19 include mobility restrictions on several of Cancún’s main avenues, as well as campaigns to sanitize public transit.
Via Twitter, Quintana Roo Gov. Carlos Manuel Joaquín González said that it is crucial that the state contain the spread of the virus to avoid any further upswings which could force a return to red on Mexico’s epidemiological traffic light system.
The situation in Quintana Roo mirrors that of Yucatán, as both states have faced a dramatic increase of COVID-19 cases in the last month.
The reintroduction of mobility restrictions in Yucatán, along with reduced hours for restaurants lead to a call to defy the measures by the state’s restaurant association.
After the initial uproar, the association agreed to follow the rules but insisted that in the future they be consulted before the introduction of any more regulations.
