Health Alert – U.S. Embassy Mexico City, Mexico (April 6, 2020)

[Doyle Phillips]

Health Alert – U.S. Embassy Mexico City, Mexico (April 6, 2020)
Location: Mexico
Event: Mexico COVID-19 Update (April 6, 2020)

International commercial flight options currently exist in Mexico. U.S. citizens who wish to return to the United States should make commercial arrangements as soon as possible unless they are prepared to remain abroad for an indefinite period. The U.S. government does not anticipate arranging repatriation flights in Mexico at this time.

The Mexican government declared a national health emergency on March 30 and imposed restrictions on non-essential activities in the public, private, and social sectors until April 30. Essential activities include medical services and supplies, grocery delivery services and stores, restaurants (for delivery and carry out only), public safety, fundamental economic functions, government social programs, and critical infrastructure. Schools in Mexico are also closed until April 30. Health authorities in several Mexican border states are discouraging all visitors from traveling to Mexico over the Easter week. For more details and for information on state and municipal restrictions, please visit our COVID-19 webpage.

On April 3, Mexican Tourism and Health officials instructed hotels to cancel new and existing reservations and close for non-essential business. All accommodation services, including hotels, hostels, online platforms, and travel agencies will cease receiving reservations and will reschedule all reservations. Guests who require accommodation due to essential business activities are permitted to stay in hotels with a maximum occupancy of 15 percent. Non-resident foreign citizens currently in hotel accommodation must begin the process of returning home immediately. If a person starts showing respiratory symptoms, health officials must be notified immediately. As a reminder, the U.S. government does not pay for lodging or other expenses incurred due to travel disruptions abroad.

The Department of State issued a Global Level 4 Health Advisory for COVID-19 on March 19.