Two tourist regions in Mexico that were busy during the holiday season are seeing very high numbers of COVID-19-related cases.
According to federal government data, these are Quintana Roo, which draws tourists to Cancun, Tulum and other places along the Riviera Maya, and Baja California Sur, popular with beachgoers in the twin Pacific resorts that make up Los Cabos.
During the holidays, the waterfront and beaches of La Paz, the capital of Baja California Sur perched on the Sea of Cortez, were packed with tourists, reports the Associated Press.
At the start of the pandemic, these popular sites had been closed.
Further south in Los Cabos, hotels were at 75% of capacity during Christmas week, according to the Federal Tourism Department. People were tired of the confinement and wanted to take advantage of it.
This traffic also skyrocketed infections.
Baja California Sur recorded 700 new infections on December 29, up from a previous record of around 600 cases in July.
According to the President of Mexico, Andrés Manuel Lopez Obrador, the vaccine has helped reassure people to some extent, without completely alleviating their nervousness.
Daniela Yepiz, stylist in La Paz, said concern seemed to have grown after the rise in infections in the days after Christmas, if he is by the numerous cancellations. “People have stopped coming,” she said.