Restaurant association says it will defy new COVID-19 rules

Restaurants and bars in Yucatán say new COVID-19 restrictions disproportionately hurt the food and beverage industry without any evidence that they are to blame. Photo: Courtesy

Mexico’s restaurant association (Canirac) and its 550 members say that they will defy the order issued by Yucatán’s state government to reduce their operating capacity from 75% to 50%.

The organization says that the food and beverage industry is being scapegoated by Yucatán Gov. Mauricio Vila Dosal to deflect attention from his administration’s failures.

“We are one of the most regulated sectors of the economy, and since the start of the pandemic, we have been one of the hardest hit. We unequivocally condemn these new measures to further limit our operating capacity and hours of operation,” said Canirac representative, Roberto Cantón.

The group also said that it was hypocritical for the government to blame restaurants for the surge of COVID-19 infections, given the recent large-scale political rallies held before last weekend’s election. 

Earlier: The newest COVID-19 restrictions and what you need to know

For his part, Vila Dosal said that as governor, he has no authority to approve or prohibit activities carried out by political parties, as this faculty belongs exclusively to Mexico’s federal electoral institute. 

Several bars in Mérida’s downtown say that new restrictions on their ability to function as restaurants will result in permanent closures

Bar owners and staff are calling for dialogue with the state government and say that they shouldn’t be punished, but rather considered allies in the fight against the spread of COVID-19.

The new restrictions which also include a ban on all non-emergency motor vehicle traffic between 11:30 p.m. and 5 a.m., came into effect last night.

Yesterday alone, Yucatán reported 239 new cases of COVID-19 and registered nine deaths.

Carlos Rosado van der Gracht
Carlos Rosado van der Gracht
Born in Mérida, Carlos Rosado van der Gracht is a Mexican/Canadian blogger, photographer and adventure expedition leader. He holds degrees in multimedia, philosophy, and translation from universities in Mexico, Canada and Norway.
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