Yucatan Gov. Mauricio Vila Dosal on Friday ordered bars and night clubs to shut down operations.
He also asked the public to order food delivery rather than visit restaurants and cafes, which were ordered to close nightly at 10 p.m.. Schools, museums and other large institutions are already shut down, motor vehicle registrations have been suspended and traffic on highways and the airport is being closely monitored.
The suspension of all activities in the archaeological zones of Chichén Itzá and Dzibilchaltún was announced for the normally busy March 20, 21 and 22 spring equinox period. Merida’s casino establishments were also shuttered.
The orders are part of the state’s strategy to hold back the spread of coronavirus, which has 13 known patients, all with mild cases. Mexico’s overall Covid-19 case is low, at 164 and one fatality, but authorities may suspect many more cases have gone undetected.
The state also addressed supermarkets who participate in a national volunteer program of baggers who work for tips. Vila asked for the grocers to provide for the baggers and send them home for their own safety. The baggers, who are elderly, are particularly vulnerable to the virus but come in contact with hundreds of customers, at close range, every day.
