The Banderas Bay Hotel and Motel Association (AHMBB) and the Riviera Nayarit Convention and Visitors Bureau (CVB), following the guidelines of the federal government’s Ministry of Health and of the World Health Organization (WHO), have initiated preventative actions against the 2019-nCoV coronavirus that originated in China.
Based on the saying that “an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure” and even though there are currently no confirmed positive cases registered in Mexico, both the AHMBB as the CVB are on alert. The entities recommended their hotel partners and the business sector, in general, establish preventative measures to avoid the new coronavirus (for which there is no treatment or vaccine) from becoming a threat impacting the tourism segment of the region.
It’s important to remember the epidemic caused by the H1N1 virus in 2009 had very serious consequences—it not only decreased the number of visitors, but it also affected service providers, especially hotels and restaurants. Many had to shut down, resulting in heavy economic losses.
Coronavirus declared “global health emergency”
World Health Organization (WHO) Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus declared the coronavirus outbreak a global health emergency.
According to data from the organization, there are 7,818 registered cases and 170 deaths confirmed to date around the world, of which 1,736 are in China and the rest divided among 18 countries.
The WHO urged governments worldwide—even those with no registered cases of the new coronavirus—to “remain alert” and “act” to prevent contagion.
“The entire world needs to take action,” said Michael Ryan, head of the WHO’s Emergency Program, to reporters in Geneva.
Nayarit, no risk of coronavirus
In this respect, the Ministry of Health of the State of Nayarit via its principal, Raúl Santiago López, confirmed that Nayarit is currently free of the 2019-nCoV coronavirus, keeping in mind the more than 7,000 confirmed cases are with persons living in China—over half of whom live in WuHan, the main province in Hubei.
However, there have been several confirmed cases in California, Washington, Arizona, and Illinois in the United States. All of these states are destinations of origin to this region; thus, the importance of taking preventative measures, favoring the health of hotel staff and the safety of its tourists.
Therefore, to lessen the risk of disease, the following universal prevention measures must be carried out:
1. Wash hands frequently with soap and water and use gel-based hand sanitizer with a 7% alcohol base.
2. Follow the “sneeze etiquette” when sneezing or coughing, that is, cover your mouth and nose with the crook of your arm.
3. Don’t spit and don’t touch your face with dirty hands, especially your nose, mouth or eyes.
4. Clean and disinfect surfaces and commonly used objects at home, the office, in enclosed areas, on transportation, in meeting places, etc.
5. See your doctor when you have a respiratory ailment.
6. Antibacterial gel in all areas and offices.
7. Ensure the bathrooms always have soap.
There’s no doubt these actions will give our visitors a good impression and the confidence to continue visiting this warm destination.
