State authorities said that Progreso’s boardwalk will remain closed over the Semana Santa holiday to help prevent the spread of COVID-19.
The malecón will remain closed to both vehicle and pedestrian traffic starting Friday and continuing through April 11.
The restaurants operating along the boardwalk will be allowed to continue admitting customers, though it is unclear how exactly the specifics of this arrangement are to be worked out.
Merchants who are usually seen on the boardwalk selling handcrafts, snacks and drinks will not be able to set up shop at all.
The wording of the announcement has created some confusion among the population, as access to the beach in Progreso has not been explicitly forbidden at other points.
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There is a concern that beachgoers will simply cram into other beaches, such as those in Sisal, Celestun and Telchac if similar measures are not implemented across the board.
As temperatures continue to rise, beaches in Yucatán have begun to see greater numbers of visitors, most of whom remove their masks the instant their feet touch the sand.
Yucatán Gov. Mauricio Vila Dosal says he fully understands the frustration people feel about the closure but insisted that the measure is necessary to keep COVID-19 infections at bay.
The decision was made by the state government under the advisement of a group of public health and epidemiological experts.
