Mexico

Mexico continues Phase 3 of coronavirus. On June 1st started the ‘New Normality’, imposed by the Mexican Government, which is based in maintaining the operation of considered essential activities and just in some estates restarting operations of mining, construction, and automobile industries.

The ‘New Normal’ includes an epidemiological four-step “traffic light” model that will work with the four categories defined for the reopening of non-essential activities that are based on their social value: high and low in social value, and high and low in number of people. According to the explanation of undersecretary of health Hugo Lopez-Gatell, “the color scheme works as a traditional traffic light to indicate the risk of level of every state but that instead of having three colors, it will have four: green for the lowest risk, and red for the highest, while yellow and orange will mean a medium risk”. 1

López-Gatell also said that there will be an evaluation each week when they have a register on the risk level of each state, which will be correspondingly reported by the state authorities and explained that the citizens need to continue acting in compliance with prevention measures to avoid the increase of cases. The undersecretary announced that the update of this “traffic light” will be announced every Thursday at the evening conference on COVID-19.2

The employees that will return to work during this month need to consider the preventive measures in all the entities of Mexico, which includes the use of face masks and constant hand washing. The employers have the responsibility to establish guidelines, protocols or rules to avoid contagion, such as promoting remote work, and establishing solutions for vulnerable people; maintain a healthy distance -at least 1.5 m- between the workers, and collocate instructions inside the establishments to indicate flows and distance measurements. Also, they need to consider the sanitization and disinfecting supplies in the entrance area and the disinfection of the work areas, including the necessary tools, especially those for common use.

There must also be physical barriers at workstations and dining rooms; the increase in the frequency of the transportation service for workers and the use of alternate seats; staggered and flexible working hours.3

Costa Rica

On June 4th, the Costa Rican Government informed about the extension of the restriction for the vehicles measures in different districts within the country.

The ministry of health, Daniel Salas, informed that these measures will apply starting on June 5th at 5 p.m.

The government announced the change to orange light in different districts, new measures have been announced:

• VEHICLE RESTRICTION. On the weekends only vehicles with pair and unpair plates can circulate to go to the supermarket, pharmacies, hospitals.
• ESTABLISHMENTS. They can open from Monday to Friday from 5:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. On weekends only supermarkets, pharmacies and hospitals can open without restriction.

The Orange light was extended to another district called Los Chiles, that will be under the vehicle restriction as well and to the regulation of establishments during the week and weekends.4

Guatemala

From next weekend, Guatemala will apply mobility tests in public transportation After doing tests in the Transmetro system and the ones that will be applied in Transurbano system, the owners are preparing mobility essays so the health authorities can verify if the social distance and health protocols would be respected by the citizens.

In the Transurbano they already showed social distance, the drivers are protecting themselves and they are disinfecting the bus after each trip. The schedule is from 5:00 am. to 4:00 p.m.

The government announced that the buses can only operate at 50% of their capacity, he emphasized that these practices do not mean that this is the installment of the service and this will only apply in four lines of the transportation, they will inform abut the routes and schedule later. The government also explained that the citizens must collaborate and comply with the sanitary rules. 5

El Salvador

Through a statement on social networks, the Ministry of Health of El Salvador reported the extension of the quarantine until June 15 to try to contain the spread of coronavirus.6

On June 3rd, the Ministry of Health informed that “it is declared the entire national territory as an epidemic area subject to sanitary control to combat the damage and prevent the spread of covid-19, for which the entire population must remain at their homes”. Also, he shared the Decree No. 29, which establishes the extraordinary and containment measures against the COVID19 pandemic.

According to the Decree No. 29, public transport will continue to be paralyzed and the population will be able to go to the bank, pharmacies, supermarkets and public markets on certain days, it is defined according to the last digit of the identity document.7

Also, the areas with permission to open were restaurants only for home delivery, food and basic goods delivery companies, hardware, construction, maintenance, and contractor companies.

The government has decreed that the infected patients that are in quarantine cannot have a duration that exceeds 15 days, and the Ministry of Health must order the medical discharge of those who have finished with that quarantine, just if the result of the test is negative.

According to the Ministry of Health Francis Alabi, “people who test positive will go into isolation”.

Another agreement was that “people with COVID-19 can receive private hospitalization that has the technical hospital capacity to manage the disease at any stage of the virus”.8

REFERENCIAS:

México

1.- El Universal. 2020. The New Normal: Mexico launches a four color coding system to resume activities after COVID-19. May 29.05.2020. Accessed by 09.06.2020. https://www.eluniversal.com.mx/english/new-normal-mexico-launches-four-color-coding-system-resume-activities-after-covid-19

2.- El financiero. 2020. ¿Cómo se actualizará cada semana el semáforo de reapertura económica? Esto dice López-Gatell. May 29.05.2020. Accessed by 09.06.2020. https://www.elfinanciero.com.mx/salud/como-se-actualizara-cada-semana-el-semaforo-de-reapertura-economica-esto-dice-lopez-gatell

3.- Cámara Mexicana de la Industria de la Construcción. 2020. Protocolo de Regreso Seguro a las Obras de Construcción. Ver 2.0 Revisado por el Sector Salud del Gobierno Federal. https://www.cmic.org.mx/covid19/protocolo_regreso_a_las_obras_de_construccion_2020_2.pdf

Costa Rica

4. https://www.presidencia.go.cr/

Guatemala

5. https://www.prensalibre.com/guatemala/comunitario/protocolos-sanitarios-para-evitar-contagios-de-covid-19-tambien-se-probaran-en-buses-rojos/

El Salvador

6.- Milenio. 2020. El Salvador extiende hasta el 15 de junio cuarentena por coronavirus. June 03.06.2020. Accessed by 09.06.2020. https://www.milenio.com/politica/salvador-extiende-cuarentena-coronavirus-15-junio

7.- Elsalvador.com. 2020. Gobierno amplía la cuarentena obligatoria hasta el 15 de junio. June 03.06.2020. Accessed by 09.06.2020. https://www.elsalvador.com/noticias/nacional/coronavirus-gobierno-extiende-cuarentena/720486/2020/

8- Elsalvador.com. 2020. Diputados acuerdan que cuarentena controlada para sospechosos de COVID-19 no excederá los 15 días. May 27.05.2002. Accessed by 09.06.2020. https://www.elsalvador.com/noticias/nacional/covid-19-coronavirus-asamblea-legislativa-gobierno-discusiones-ley-de-emergencia-cuarentena/718196/2020/