The plenary session of the San Miguel de Allende City Council unanimously approved the “General Safety and Health Measures for the Reactivation of Establishments” and the “Protocol for Sanitary Filters in the municipality”; during the first video session in the history of this municipality.
The city seeks to be a benchmark in the timely implementation of measures that retain the impact of the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic; but also in actions necessary to achieve the prompt economic recovery of this important tourist destination.
The municipal president, Luis Alberto Villarreal announced that the reopening will take place in 4 phases, which execution dates are still be to be determined by the tourism, economic, and Health Secretariats in coordination with the social sector.
He anticipated that the reopening will be achieved in a gradually, orderly, cautious and responsible way, so as not to put citizens at risk. Each phase and measure will be constantly evaluated. The establishments must have a “Health and Safety Certification” that will be issued by a committee made up of representatives of the Sanitary Jurisdiction, Civil Protection, Tourism Council and the Directorate of Economic Development, International Relations and NGOs.
With these measures, San Miguel de Allende becomes the first tourist destination in Mexico and Latin America to establish a certificate for “Safe and Healthy” businesses, which give guarantees safety to workers in the tourism industry, the general population and tourists visiting the Magic Town. The phases in which the sectors of the city will be reactivated are four:
Phase 0: Markets and shopping malls, restaurants, loncherias, taquerías, tortillerías, bakeries, patisseries, cafeterias, candy stores, palelerías and ice cream parlors will open, grocery and miscellaneous stores, nutrition centers, pharmacies, medical offices , laboratories, medical articles, cleaning articles, handicrafts, hardware stores, building materials, hairdressers and barbers, stationeries, bonnet, haberdashery, clothing stores, shoe stores, gift shops, toy stores, florists, watchmaking, locksmiths , spare parts, gas, gas stations, mechanics, tire and derivatives, blacksmiths, carpentry, furniture, jewelry, shopping malls, cyber cafes, telephone centers, self-service centers and public parking lots.
Phase 1: Hotels, Public Parks, Cinemas, Theaters, Libraries, cultural centers, Churches and religious centers, Centers of Congregation of People (should not exceed 10 people).
Phase 2: Sport and work out centers such as gyms, public courts in the neighborhoods and communities.
Phase 3: Canteens, bars, nightclubs, botaneros, jaripeos, bailes, public and private events, houses for rent and lodging in any of its modalities including AirB&B, museums, SPAs, Massage centers, tourist tours, Hot Air Balloon flights, walking tours and other tourism related activities.
A protocol to filter the entrance to the municipality was also designed, which includes checkpoints that will be monitoring the main entrances to SMA, such as: Querétaro, Celaya-Comonfort, Guanajuato, Dolores Hidalgo, Dr. Mora), and the Central de Autobuses with a team made up of National Guard personnel, Municipal Police, Civil Protection and Ministry of Health.
At these checkpoints, anybody that intends to enter the municipality, wll be briefed about the health protocols, their body temperature will be taken, and the staff of the Ministry of Health will ask the reason for their visit.
San Miguel Times Newsroom
