Mexico to Reopen Cancun to Tourism Next Week

(Bloomberg) -- President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador held his daily press conference from the state of Quintana Roo to mark the beginning of Mexico's economic reopening and resume his tours across the country.

Quintana Roo, home to the famed beaches of Cancun and Tulum, will resume activities next week. The state, which depends heavily on tourism, has lost over 83,000 jobs in the last few months due to the pandemic, said governor Carlos Joaquin Gonzalez. The decision to reopen the tourism industry in the state has to do with a downward trend in contagion, he said, and added the reopening will be slow and progressive.

Other topics

The president will kick-off the construction of the Maya Train this week. The fifth tranche of the project will be auctioned this month
Lopez Obrador said the presidential plane might not return to Mexico given that a potential buyer has made an offer. The president said half of the payment would be made in cash and half in medical equipment, and that a decision should be reached in 15 to 20 days time. The government has unsuccessfully tried to sell the aircraft since Dec. 2018
Lopez Obrador said contagion is under control in Mexico City and that there has been a decrease in cases. But city authorities continue to call on people to stay at home as the capital remains a high risk area with the highest number of cases in the country
- Mexico Reports 3,152 New Covid-19 Cases on Sunday
Low sargassum is expected for Mexico's Caribbean beaches in the months of May through July, said Navy Minister Jose Rafael Ojeda. The foul-smelling algae has scared away tourism in previous years
Mexico will focus on local tourism to reactivate the industry and try to attract U.S. and Canadian tourists in the winter season, said Tourism Minister Miguel Torruco
The government will recommend shutting down economic activity if Mexico experiences a new surge of covid-19 cases during the reopening period, said Lopez Obrador

The press conference can be seen here