Mexico’s COVID-19 Traffic Light Monitoring System: News for May 10–23, 2021

For the sixth consecutive two-week COVID-19 reporting period, none of Mexico’s 32 states are in red traffic light status, the most stringent of the nation’s four-tiered monitoring system designed to prevent the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Improvements are showing up throughout the rest of the traffic light color spectrum. Only 3 states are in orange status, which is the status just below red; 15 states are in yellow status; and 14 states are in green status, under which all activities may resume without restriction. The system was implemented in June 2020 and is used to alert residents to the epidemiological risks of COVID-19 and provide guidance on restrictions on certain activities in each of the country’s states.

Below is a map for the period of May 10, 2021, through May 23, 2021, indicating the COVID-19 risk level in each of the states and the capital.

This chart presents the traffic light status of each state, and, as applicable, variations between federal and local traffic light statuses based on publications of the federal Ministry of Health and status reports provided by each state.

As of May 9, 2021, there were 2,552,389 estimated cases and 218,985 deaths due to COVID-19 in Mexico. On the other hand, 1,886,233 people have recovered from the disease, and 9,442,251 complete vaccination schedules against COVID-19 have been applied. In addition, 90 percent of hospital general beds are available, and 85 percent of ventilator beds are available. There is no state with a hospital occupancy of more than 50 percent of capacity.

The Monitoring Committee of Mexico City downgraded the traffic light status from orange to yellow as of May 10, 2021, and determined that face-to-face work in private corporate offices could resume, although with a maximum capacity of 20 percent. Employers that bring workers back to work on-site must comply with sanitary measures and must also conduct, at their own expense and on a weekly basis, testing of at least 20 percent of the personnel working on-site for the detection of the SARS-CoV-2 virus.

In Mexico City, the hours of service and capacity limits for various activities, such as banks, restaurants, nonessential commercial establishments, cinemas, hotels, will be extended. Companies, establishments, and/or workplaces must comply with both general health protection measures for all business sectors and sector-specific health protection measures.

Employers may also want to keep in mind that the Administrative Verification Institute, together with the other competent authorities of Mexico City, will carry out supervision and surveillance activities in order to verify compliance with the general and specific sanitary measures for health protection established for each sector. In the event that they find any noncompliance with such measures, the authorities may order fines and/or the temporary, total, or partial suspension of workplaces for up to 15 calendar days.

Ogletree Deakins will continue to monitor and report on developments with respect to the COVID-19 pandemic and will post updates in the firm’s Coronavirus (COVID-19) Resource Center as additional information becomes available. Important information for employers is also available via the firm’s webinar and podcast programs.