Mayors governing in the Lake Chapala region are grappling with the challenges of sustaining local economies largely dependent on tourism while implementing measures to mitigate the impact of the Covid-19 epidemic in their communities.
With inhabitants of the Guadalajara metro area and other parts expected to shelter at home as the health crisis peaks, the region’s tourism sector is bound to suffer a devastating financial hit during the upcoming and normally prosperous Easter holiday period.
With that in mind, the chief executives of Chapala, Jocotepec and other lakeshore municipalities met with a representative of the Jalisco Health Department (SSJ) on Wednesday, March 19, at the Jocotepec City Hall to establish common strategies for the coming weeks.
However, casinos, bars, cantinas, discotheques, nightclubs, event centers and similar establishments that draw large crowds have been ordered to close until further notice, in line with the directive issued this week by Governor Enrique Alfaro.Restaurants, small diners, hotels, shopping centers, stores, cinemas and gymnasiums will be allowed to remain open by following official sanitary guidelines to reduce the danger of contagion. Businesses are required to beef up cleaning and disinfection procedures and provide customers and staff with antibacterial gel. Restaurants have to reduce seating capacity by at least 25 percent, increase distance between tables and replace cloth table linens with disposable paper napkins and tablecloths.
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