Gradual Reactivation Plan for Mexico City

The head of government of Mexico City, Claudia Sheinbaum, presented today, by means of a press videoconference, the gradual plan towards the new normality in Mexico City.

This plan foresees the operation of a daily epidemiological traffic light (to be published on a website), which modification will depend on the percentage of hospital occupation in the City and its growth or reduction trends. Thus: (i) a hospital occupation of 65% for two weeks will mean that the relevant traffic light will change from red to orange; (ii) a hospital occupation of less than 50% for two weeks will mean that the traffic light will change from orange to yellow; and (iii) a hospital occupation of less than 50% for one month will mean that the traffic light will turn from yellow to green.

In this link you will be able to find the activities that can be carried out in each of the colors of the traffic light. The main ones in commercial and business matters are the following ones:

a) The orange color will authorize the reactivation of the following activities with staggered schedules and working days, in a 4×10 scheme: restaurants and hotels and religious services (both with 30% of their capacity), cinemas and theaters (with 50% of their capacity), micro/small businesses with less than 30 employees and sports events without an audience after an athlete test.

The temporary “No Driving Day” (Hoy no Circula) program will be in force until the traffic light is modified to orange.

b) Upon entering the yellow color, the following activities may be reactivated with staggered schedules and work days, in a 4×10 scheme: restaurants and hotels and religious services (both with 60% of their capacity), cinemas, theaters and department stores (with 60% of their capacity) and corporate activities will return in a staggered manner.

c) The green light will mean the reactivation of practically all the activities carried out in Mexico City and will imply the reactivation of bars, gyms, night clubs and clubs.

In relation of government activities, the red color will mean the return of justice and legislative institutions through videoconferences, while the orange color will mean intensive digitalization and attention to appointments at the window for procedures related to operating economic activities. The yellow color will mean the return of government offices, digitalization and attention at the window of procedures linked to sectors. Finally, the green color will imply the return of offices, digitalization and attention at the window of procedures linked to sectors.

The head of government mentioned that, since Mexico City continues to increase hospital occupancy, the City will continue in red color at least until June 15, 2020. It is expected that hospital capacity will be reduced in a couple of weeks. This has been highlighted as an estimate.

Although CDMX will remain in red color until the date indicated before, mining, manufacturing of transportation equipment, construction and beer production will be considered as essential activities. Each of these activities must have a protocol with public health measures at work, operation rules with flows, distribution of employees and customers and signaling for each one.

Also, starting June 1st, some parks and public spaces will be opened.

In the next few days, Mexico City will inform of several guidelines and protocols, among others, guidelines for distance and business flows, guidelines for staggering work hours and days, and guidelines for understanding the epidemiological traffic light.

It should be noted that public health measures should continue throughout the term of the gradual plan, i.e., use of mask, frequent hand washing, maintaining healthy distance, etc.

For any questions or comments that may arise regarding the progressive lifting of the containment measures against the health emergency generated by the SARS-CoV2 virus in Mexico City, please contact any of our partners or associates.

Yours sincerely,

Cannizzo, Ortiz y Asociados, S.C.