Due to the risk of coronavirus infections, the Nayarit State Government determined not to open its beaches, despite having agreed with Jalisco that they would do so this Monday as part of the economic and tourist revival of the Pacific area.
The decision of Nayarit -recognized authorities of both entities- generated lack of control among the residents and tourists of 10 coastal municipalities.
“It will definitely bring confusion, but there are different situations in the country. The traffic light (epidemiological of Covid19) is by States, not by municipalities or metropolitan areas and in that sense, we also have to continue respecting traffic lights, because the most important thing is the health of people in Nayarit,” declared the mayor of Bahía de Banderas, Jaime Cuevas Tello.
The only agreement that is held between entities refers to hotel occupancy, which will be a maximum of 30 percent and the opening of common areas such as swimming pools will be allowed, confirmed Antonio Riojas Melendez, Secretary of Tourism for Nayarit.
“In Nayarit we are red in the epidemiological traffic light, we cannot open or access the beaches due to infections,” argued the official.
However, in Jalisco not only the beaches concessioned to hotels, but the public ones of the municipalities of Puerto Vallarta, Cihuatlán, La Huerta, Tomatlán and Cabo Corrientes, will be opened on June 15.
“As of Monday (they open), that is the agreement that was made. That was what was fully reported to all the mayors, and that is what we are following up on the agreement that was generated,” said the Secretary of Tourism of the State of Jalisco (Secturjal), Germán Ernesto Ralis Cumplido, who was surprised by Nayarit’s decision. “It is a decision that has been made in a sovereign and autonomous way.”
Yesterday, behind closed doors at a hotel in the Riviera de Nayarit, the mayors of Bahía de Banderas, Tecuala, Compostela Santiago de Ixcuintla and San Blas met, as well as those of Puerto Vallarta, Cabo Corrientes, Cihuatlán, La Huerta and Tomatlán.
“We have great social pressure, but we also have the responsibility to make the decision that is best for the population, and this at the moment is to continue with the beaches closed, we are making protocols now so that when conditions change, and have an established protocol for the management of public areas such as beaches, we can do that,” said Cuevas Tello.
Meanwhile, Germán Ernesto Ralis Cumplido, reported that distancing protocols will be established on the beaches of Jalisco and that sports activities and water tours are currently prohibited.
But how will the capacity on the beaches be controlled? “Obviously we are looking for there to be control, there is a new reality that we are facing and it has to do with trust,” he replied.
He stated that they carry out measurements on social mobility and analyze how many visitors could reach Puerto Vallarta and the Costalegre area. In addition to permanent monitoring in hotels, bus lines, and the”Gustavo Díaz Ordaz International Airport.
Ralis warned that hoteliers will be responsible to monitor social distancing on beaches serving their establishments, but if they do not comply they will be fined. Ralis made it clear that the municipalities will be in charge of inspecting and monitoring that nobody violates the agreements.
“Today the responsibility falls a lot on the municipalities, and it is an agreement, whoever breaks the protocol there will be sanctions, we cannot play with people’s health,” he emphasized.
