Cancun stops using their COVID Warning Stop Light System

The state of Quintana Roo will no longer be utilizing Mexico’s epidemiological traffic light system. The Government of Mexico has made the remarkable decision to officially treat COVID as an endemic.

Since March of 2020, the Mexican government has been using their epidemiological traffic light system to communicate the risk of transmitting COVID in each of their states. They have used this red, yellow, and green system to apply restrictions accordingly. The lower the infection rate the color on their map would show the state in green; the higher the infection rate the state would be filled in red. Sometimes they would cut the state of Quintana Roo into half - north and south.

Mexico was one of the only “open” countries in the world during this pandemic. There was no restrictions or requirement on travelers entering their country at any time.

Using the traffic light system would communicate many of Cancun’s main tourists spot were locked down, or sometimes even road blocked, impacting access.

In 2022, Cancun has enjoyed a long stretch of being under the “green light” since February. Every Thursday the Governor, Carlos Joaquin, offered updates where he would announce the color level of the state for the next coming week.

This is now no longer needed. Hotels are running at their fullest operational capacity, restaurants have had their mask restrictions removed, and now the curfew at bars and discos has been extended.

Mexico’s transition from the pandemic to an endemic is set to start May 1^st.

Now of this writing, masks are still required for indoor public spaces. The use of a mask is completely optional for everyone outdoors.

The governor did suggest that he may remove that rule in the next coming weeks if COVID levels remain low.

The states of Mexico are at their own liberty to enforce their own rules. If Quintana Roo, where Cancun is located, were to experience an increase in infections, their rules could be re-introduced to fight the spread.

If you are planning a vacation to Cancun, please continue to investigate what your home country requires for re-entry. For example, the United States still requires a negative COVID test take within twenty-four hours of your flight departure back into the U.S.A.

Cancun has plenty of locations that offer that service to help their visitors travel home safely.