What I want everyone to know about Mexico during COVID-19
I’ve been trying to start this story for weeks, but the chaos and uncertainty of this pandemic have made the task of constructing a coherent argument difficult; of this, I am sure everyone can relate. My husband and I have now lived in Mexico City for almost a year and a half and have come to love our adopted home — bizarre quirks and all. We chose this adventure fully aware of our responsibility as ambassadors of sorts, each day cognizant that we have an opportunity to portray the best qualities of the United States to a population that in recent years has experienced an increase in anti-Mexican sentiments from it’s northern neighbor. What we did not anticipate, however, is our important role as ambassadors of Mexico and Mexican culture back to our friends and family in the US.
This role has become even more apparent during the COVID-19 pandemic as news stories from reputable and trusted US outlets continue to admonish the situation and response in Mexico. What’s even worse is that many of these stories continue to act as though the US is doing just fine, and in doing so, holding Mexico to a much higher standard (and don’t even get me started on Brazil).
Yes, we have a problem here, and yes, the government could be doing more, but these two statements are true for many countries, most arguably the United States. At the beginning of the rapid rise in cases here back in mid-March, many of our expat friends made the choice to return home, something we also could have chosen to do, but there is not a day that goes by that we aren’t thankful we decided to stay.
So just like I have tried to understand the devastating circumstances in the US without making assumptions (or without screaming too loudly into the void), please take a few moments to consider our lived experience here in Mexico.
- Mask wearing has never been political
As an American residing outside of the country during this time, I can only speak to the anecdotes and experiences of families and friends, but my perception is that one of the hardest parts about living in the US right now is the continually increasing polarization related to COVID-19, especially around mask wearing. Luckily, our experience in Mexico has been anything but contentious. There are certainly still people who question the existence of the virus and/or chose not to wear masks, but the vast majority of residents are listening to the experts and aren’t questioning the various laws around the country mandating mask use.
2. Many parts of the country have been ordered to stay at home since March 30th
That’s right, here in Mexico City we have been in some state of quarantine since March 30th, and have only started to slowly open up since the beginning of July. Until recently even public parks were closed, and only now are open for limited use (walking, running, biking, etc.) with guards at all entrances taking temperatures, checking for masks, and doling our hand sanitizer.
3. We have a national plan for reopening that allows for flexibility at the state and local levels. This plan is based on hospital bed capacity, not case numbers.
No reopening plan is perfect because there is still so much we don’t know, but a few months ago the Mexican government rolled out this country’s plan for reopening, which is based on a four-color stoplight (red, orange, yellow, green). To move to the next color, each state must meet the corresponding benchmarks, which are recalculated every two weeks at the national level. From the beginning of reopening activities, it has been made clear that the data will dictate our actions. Therefore, it is possible for a state or locality to move backwards, which has in fact happened.
In Mexico City, we are currently in Semáforo Naranja (stoplight orange), and we have been for a few weeks. This means, among other restrictions, that all public parks are open, but at lesser capacity and all playground or picnic areas are roped off. Restaurants may be open at 30–40% capacity depending on the availability of outdoor seating, requiring enforcement of strict hand sanitizing and mask wearing policies, and avoiding paper menus. Instead, most establishments are providing QR codes to pull up the menu on your phone. Places like gyms and bars will remain closed until we reach Semáforo Verde (stoplight green), which I do not anticipate will happen until at least mid-September.
4. Mexico is still a developing economy in many regards, which means the calculus for how and when to reopen is different than for the US and Europe.
This has been a big one for me as I’ve seen the negative stories written about Mexico’s response. The fact is that Mexico is still a developing economy, which means a higher percentage of people truly can’t afford not to work. While the government has set up loan programs for small businesses and the tourism sector, it simply cannot sustain the same level of support as many European countries, for example. This is simply a daily truth which dictates this countries reopening plan, so instead of focusing solely on new cases, this government has chosen to strategize based on hospital capacity. For the other public health nerds out there like me, think of it more like a harm reduction strategy. Efforts are focused on keeping people as safe as possible through public communication campaigns and on-site interventions.
This also unfortunately means that the poorest neighborhoods also tend to be the hardest hit, not unlike other major cities around the world. Not only are these neighborhoods impacted by the need to work, but they are also denser, making distancing impossible.
5. We receive a national, televised briefing every day. Complete with powerpoint slides.
You can find the latest briefing and much more above from the national government.
Our local government has also taken to Twitter and other platforms to deliver brief, daily video updates with important information, as well as messages of unity. Here is a recent example.
6. Local governments are not afraid to make adjustments based on new evidence.
In recent weeks, we’ve seen the Mexico City government re-close the Historic Center for an additional weekend of training for shop and restaurant employees, delay the opening of commercial centers by an additional week, and most recently warn that we are at risk of moving back into more strict measures as hospital capacities creep upward. In the 30 most at-risk neighborhoods in the city, the government has started sending medical staff door-to-door to administer tests, check in on those who are sick, and ensure that the families of people who have tested positive remain at home. All of these decisions have been based on data.
7. We feel incredibly safe here.
Yes, we live in a nice neighborhood and yes, we can afford to pay for things that make this time easier, but we also feel that our local government in particular is taking things seriously. I am also sure that there are others with the exact opposite experience as us, but how is that any different from the US? At least here, I have my temperature taken at the entrance of every grocery store, hair salon, and restaurant, am given a healthy dose of hand sanitizer upon entry, and everyone is wearing a mask.
Sometime in the future I will write about all of things we can berate Mexico for, but for now, before you point your finger about its COVID response, write an article about the US government’s continued failings, and then make sure all of your friends and family are registered to vote in November.