After a confusion about the reopening of certain businesses on Monday, the Governor of Jalisco clarified that “Phase 0” is only the beginning of the application of protocols for the restart of gradual activities in the economy, so businesses will not open until June 1.
Antier, the University of Guadalajara (UdeG) explained that this phase is to prepare for the return to the “new reality” and not to reopen establishments.
“We are still in an important phase of growth of (coronavirus) cases,” explained José Hernández, who is a member of the Health Situation Room for COVID-19.
Given this, the state Governor assured that Jalisco respects the decree issued by the federal government and complies with the recommendations of the house of studies so that economic activities are launched in two more weeks.
In addition, he stated that all the sectors of Jalisco participated in the Economic Reactivation Plan.
The head of the state executive stressed that social isolation measures are still in force, which implies that citizens must stay at home.
He announced that the sanitary checkpoints will be reinforced at the entrances and exits of the Guadalajara Metropolitan Area (AMG) and on the borders with neighboring states.
The UdeG also pointed out that these socialization measures should be applied over the next two weeks to “not compromise the favorable results that Jalisco has obtained so far in managing the pandemic.”
The State of Jalisco isn’t the only government entity that seems to be confused about how businesses will be allowed to open.
Early this week, the Federal Government added auto manufactures to the list of essential businesses and permitted their return to operations through a notice published in the Official Journal of the Federation, only to delete the publication the following day and indicate that auto manufactures were not permitted to reopen. In a whiplash of confusing signals, again the government seems to change position by stating that maybe auto manufacturing could return before June 1.
Confusion on when businesses can reopen comes at a time when Mexico is setting new records of infections each day and some studies suggest that mid-June will be Mexico’s peak infection period, not May 10 as the government has been pushing.
Mexico has constantly under-reported and under-tested for COVID-19 since the beginning of the pandemic, making prediction models unreliable as the country races to get its already fragile economy open.
