Both
the Northern and Southern Zones of the state remain in Orange thru June
6th. The Governor expressed concern that the Contagion Rate for our
Zone has reached 1.14. Our state is also Orange on the National semaforo.
Disminucion means decrease and Aumento means increase.
Isla Mujeres reports a total of 300 positives, 33 deaths from C-19 and 258 recovered. The growth rate of new cases for our Zone has reached 0.55.
On
Sunday, June 6, Mexico is holding elections & in Q Roo, they're
choosing federal legislators (our Mayor is one of the candidates) and
local government (municipal Presidents and City Councils). There is a
"Ley Seca" (Dry Law") during elections with some exceptions for
tourists. In Q Roo, it lasts 48 hours, prohibiting drinking on Saturday
and Sunday (from midnight Friday to midnight Sunday). During this time
there are no package sales (stores can't sell alcohol), but tourists can
by alcoholic drinks at restaurants in the Tourist Zones usually with
food. (The only "bars" that are open since the pandemic sell food &
are technically "restaurants".) I'll publish the official notice after
Sefilplan posts it.
The trash transfer facility started burning on Sunday night around 11pm and TV Isla Mujeres reported it was extinguished by Monday morning. On Tuesday, is was burning again. It appeared to be burning in the organic materials area (where the brush is). Screenshot from a video by TV Isla Mujeres on Sunday night. The second screenshot is also from a TV Isla Mujeres video when it resumed burning on Tuesday morning.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
This blog is brought to you by....
MaraVilla CaribeBed & BeachFour rentals with large glass doors overlooking our white
sand beach and
the beautiful Caribbean sea, with
kitchenettes & fast WIFI.In the upscale
neighborhood of Bachilleres,
convenient to downtown
or
the colonias, yet
separate. Quiet & Private.
Free
amenities include hammocks,
portable beach
chairs, beach towels,
washer & dryer, loungers, shared bikes, BBQ grill, and safes. Panoramic
views from the
rooftop terrace. Large sliding doors open to a patio &
the white sand backyard-beach, overlooking the Caribbean sea. Downtown
is ~ a mile away; we're on
all four bus routes or flag a $3 taxi. Off street parking. In the quiet
neighborhood of Bachilleres, sleep to the sounds of the sea.. $275/$325/$425 wk $40/50/$65nt Monthly Discounts
Fine
dining a few steps away at Da Luisa or try the
neighborhood eateries a couple blocks farther. We provide a list of
links & direction to over 20 eateries within ten minutes walk,
including Mango Cafe, Mike's Pizza,
Brisas, Rosa Sirena, Coco Jaguar, Manolitos, Green Verde, Kash Kechen
Chuc, and the
large department store-grocery Chedraui & the local craft brewery. Visit marinas, bars, &
beach
clubs that are minutes away by bike or on foot. Attend Yoga classes a
couple villas away at Casa
Ixchel. Fresh juice, produce & tortillas a few blocks
away in the village, as well as a
variety of other stores.
Full moon Wednesday, May 26 rises at 7:57p over the Caribbean & the sun sets at 7:14
Thurs, May 27 at 9:05p
Fri, May 28 at 10:10p
Sat. May 29 at 11:08p
Sun, May 30 at 11:59p
Sunrise in May~6:00 (first of month)-5:47a (end of month)
Public events have been suspended due to C-19, mostly. Some holidays have featured online competitions and events.
Sources for Weather Information: LINK to Civil Protection Q Roo weather bulletin (Spanish) LINK to Mexico National Weather Service (Spanish) LINK to satellite images for the Mexico National Weather Service LINK to GOES East Band 16 GIF (animation) LINK to a private weather station on Isla Mujeres
Despite
increases on all the graphs, our Northern Zone remains in Orange next
week, Mon, May 24-Sun, May 30. The Southern Zone also remains Orange. Cancun is "Benito Juarez", Playa del Carmen is Solidaridad (the biggest cities in our Zone) and Holbox is in Lazaro Cardenas.
Isla Mujeres al Momento reported that Tuesday,
the Navy responded to an emergency call and rescued four men who were
adrift in the "MARYCRUZ", about 7 nautical miles northeast of Isla
Mujeres, after experiencing engine trouble. The small boat was towed to
the Naval dock, with the crew in good health. They were received by the
staff of the Harbor Master's office for the corresponding paperwork.
Tuesday morning the Governor announced five mandatory measures for the state. He expressed concern about Cancun's rising C-19 contagion curve, saying this cannot be allowed to continue. He implored the residents to increase their compliance with sanitary measures, noting you can deceive yourselves and your government, but not the virus.
1. There will be strict monitoring that capacities and hours are in compliance with the epidemiological light, with suspensions and closures as penalties for non-compliance.
2. Events such as competitions, fairs and expos must be conducted within the context of a "Sanitary Bubble", with respect for capacities. Everyone who enters must have a negative antigen test within the previous 48 hours and cannot leave until the event has concluded.
3. There will be road closures and mobility restrictions on main streets; pay attention to official messages for more information about this. (There were some announced street closures in Cancun this past weekend.)
4. Public and private transportation will be monitored and no vehicle will be allowed to exceed the number of passengers allowed in the Orange status.
5. Massive social gatherings will be sanctioned (penalized) because people cannot risk mingling together in ways that violate healthy distancing measures and put the entire population at risk.
He said we are in a crucial moment when are no actions that are small and every effort to strengthen sanitary measures will be reflected in the health and economy of the state, as well as in the epidemiological light. He plans to announce the latest information this evening about Vaccinations, Actions to contain the Contagion Growth Rate, and the Ranking of Colonias with the Most Active Cases of C-19.
TUESDAY--A month ago, the Growth Rate of cases for our Northern Zone was 0.18. Now it has risen to 0.46, up from last week's 0.41. Most of the population of our Zone lives in Cancun ("Benito Juarez") which reported more cases last week than at any time in the pandemic. The second most populous municipality, Playa del Carmen (Solidaridad), has had two spikes in recent weeks. The small islands, Isla Mujeres & Holbox (Lazaro Cardenas) are doing pretty good, but Cozumel increased by 41%. Tulum is finally doing better.
Our municipality reported another death this week for a total of 31, with a total of 293 cases and 252 recovered, as of yesterday.
MONDAY---Sundog. Photo by Bruce Roberts. In
other news, reports say the smoke on the mainland is from tires burning
at the landfill and that the firefighters are working at putting it
out.
SATURDAY-- On Friday, the Governor congratulated teachers on their Day and said they will
soon be vaccinated and ready for the next school year. He gave them
recognition for their resilience in meeting the challenges of continuing
to educate students from home. La Tertulia reports that vaccines will
be administered to Isla Mujeres teachers on May 18-20 at the Naval base,
noting that a significant number were vaccinated who are seniors or 50
and older. They should register at https://vacunacionqroo.seq.gob.mx and bring their CURP.
This blog is brought to you by....
MaraVilla CaribeBed & BeachFour rentals with large glass doors overlooking our white
sand beach and
the beautiful Caribbean sea, with
kitchenettes & fast WIFI.In the upscale
neighborhood of Bachilleres,
convenient to downtown
or
the colonias, yet
separate. Quiet & Private.
Free
amenities include hammocks,
portable beach
chairs, beach towels,
washer & dryer, loungers, shared bikes, BBQ grill, and safes. Panoramic
views from the
rooftop terrace. Large sliding doors open to a patio &
the white sand backyard-beach, overlooking the Caribbean sea. Downtown
is ~ a mile away; we're on
all four bus routes or flag a $3 taxi. Off street parking. In the quiet
neighborhood of Bachilleres, sleep to the sounds of the sea.. $275/$325/$425 wk $40/50/$65nt Monthly Discounts
Fine
dining a few steps away at Da Luisa or try the
neighborhood eateries a couple blocks farther. We provide a list of
links & direction to over 20 eateries within ten minutes walk,
including Mango Cafe, Mike's Pizza,
Brisas, Rosa Sirena, Coco Jaguar, Manolitos, Green Verde, Kash Kechen
Chuc, and the
large department store-grocery Chedraui & the local craft brewery. Visit marinas, bars, &
beach
clubs that are minutes away by bike or on foot. Attend Yoga classes a
couple villas away at Casa
Ixchel. Fresh juice, produce & tortillas a few blocks
away in the village, as well as a
variety of other stores.
Full moon Wednesday, May 26 rises at 7:57p over the Caribbean & the sun sets at 7:14
Thurs, May 27 at 9:05p
Fri, May 28 at 10:10p
Sat. May 29 at 11:08p
Sun, May 30 at 11:59p
Sunrise in May~6:00 (first of month)-5:47a (end of month)
Public events have been suspended due to C-19, mostly. Some holidays have featured online competitions and events.
Sources for Weather Information: LINK to Civil Protection Q Roo weather bulletin (Spanish) LINK to Mexico National Weather Service (Spanish) LINK to satellite images for the Mexico National Weather Service LINK to GOES East Band 16 GIF (animation) LINK to a private weather station on Isla Mujeres
On April 27, municipal
and state authorities conducted an inspection tour of the downtown
businesses that were damaged in the fire, to talk with the
owners and begin assessing the damage. (Restaurants reopened within days, despite the damage.)
On April 30th, the Governor announced that epidemiological light color for our Northern Zone would change to Orange for May 3-9 (where it has remained since). This decreased the capacities for hotels and restaurants from 60% to 50% and the beach capacity to 30%.
The increase in cases was attributed to the Easter holiday celebrations
and crowds, which also occurred after the Christmas holidays, when we
were in Orange for a month.
Vaccines were administered to residents 50-59 on May 5, 6, and 7 at the Bicentennial Dome in colonia La Gloria.
On
Sunday afternoon, May 2, a group of seven EZLN Zapatistas from Chiapas
set sail from Isla Mujeres in a "reverse journey" to Spain
In early March, 1517, the first expedition of Spanish Conquistadors came to Mexico, landing on Isla Mujeres. They continued up the coast engaging in various battles with the Maya until all but one of the Europeans were injured, or dead. (The injured fellow disappeared when they stopped off in Florida on their way back to Cuba, where the captain died several weeks later.)
On Sunday afternoon, May 2, a group of seven EZLN Zapatistas from Chiapas set sail from Isla Mujeres in a "reverse journey" to Spain, planning to tour more than 20 countries. They expect to arrive in the port of Vigo, along the coast of Galicia, in mid-June to meet with other political, anti-capitalist groups to raise awareness about the plight of indigenous people. Their sailboat is "La Montaรฑa" (the mountain). https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mbV9Qd_GlWE
As
of the 5th of May, there have been 284 officially reported cases of
C-19 in Isla Mujeres with 30 deaths and 250 recovered. The growth rate
of cases in our Northern Zone has risen to 0.32, with the state in
Orange status since Monday. The state geoportal shows no active cases as
of May 6. The senior residents were given doses of AZ vaccine in
February & April, and currently residents 50-59 are receiving their
first doses.
May 7-Both
regions will remain in the Orange status on the state epidemiological light,
with capacities at hotels, theme parks and tourism services limited to
50% and beaches to 30%, for May 10-16. The Governor advises against
having gatherings on May 10 (Mother's Day).
As of May 11th, there have been 286 officially reported cases of C-19 in Isla Mujeres with 30 deaths and 251 recovered. The Growth Rate of cases in our Northern Zone has risen from 0.32 to 0.41. (A month ago it was 0.20, then dropped to 0.18.) Our Northern Zone returned to Orange status on May 3rd, which reduced capacities from 60% to 50% at hotels, restaurants, and tourism services, and to 30% at the beaches.
Both doses of AstraZeneca C-19 vaccine have been administered to the senior residents of Isla Mujeres, and 50-59 year olds received their first dose of the Pfizer vaccine last week.
The
Tortugranja is seeking adult, Mexican volunteers to join their team
monitoring turtle-nesting beaches at night and relocating eggs to the
facility's incubation pen. Applicants should have associated studies, be
willing to commit for at least one month & be able to adapt to
basic living conditions. Volunteers will receive a certificate of
participation and the opportunity to attend workshops and receive
training in environmental conservation. Those who are interested should
email:
๐๐ผ๐ฟ๐๐๐ด๐ฟ๐ฎ๐ป๐ท๐ฎ๐ถ๐๐น๐ฎ๐บ๐๐ท๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐@๐ผ๐๐๐น๐ผ๐ผ๐ธ.๐ฐ๐ผ๐บ
During the pandemic, cases of diabetes have "skyrocketed" on the island, according to Geovanny de la O Avalos, president of the nonprofit organization "Club Pro Paciente Diabรฉtico de Isla Mujeres". The organization suspended its large annual clinics, which served about 500 diabetics in previous years, and established a small facility where education, testing and nutritional counseling are provided individually, as well as free glucometers and testing supplies.
There are currently 380 residents (of the island and the Continental Zone) registered with the organization, which also provides diabetic supplies to the Community Hospital, Red Cross, public health clinic and health care practitioners on the island.
Mr De la O said that during the pandemic, many diabetics suffered from a lack of medical attention because they could not keep their regular appointments and only sought medical assistance in an emergency. In some cases, financial problems prevented residents from obtaining their medications.
He said that many people stopped watching their diet and the number of people selling desserts to help themselves financially proliferated, which are usually cheap and very high in sugar. (Pastries have also been donated by Chedraui and distributed by the DIF, social service agency.) A lack of exercise contributed to increased health problems. He noted that diabetics are advised to stay home and only go out when strictly necessary, whether the epidemiological light is yellow or orange.
There's more information at the link, as well as an application form for resident diabetics to join the Registry. Donations are always appreciated! Thank-you! (That's Geovanny at lower left.)
Source--Cambio 22, "La Pandemia Provocรณ un Mayor Nรบmero de Casos de Diabetes en Isla Mujeres" by Yolanda Gutierrez
We
did not do a fundraiser this year due to the impact of Covid on
businesses and more recently the devastating fire. Donations are greatly
needed: PayPal.Me/isladiabetesclinic
May 13--Our
Northern Zone remains in Orange status on the state epidemiological
light thru May 23, as does the Southern Zone. The neighboring
municipality of Benito Juarez (Cancun) currently has more cases than it
has had at anytime during the pandemic.
Q. What happens if we move to Red on the state "epidemiological light"?
The first graphic shows that capacities at hotels & tourism parks would drop to 15% and public beaches would close. The second graphic says that restaurants would reduce tables to 15% and only offer To Go or Delivery service. Businesses that would close include jewelry stores, gyms, salons, handicraft stores, boutiques & clothing stores.
Q. Why do the official graphics say Bars are Closed but tourists say Bars are Open?
A. It's a question of semantics. The "Bars" that are open are serving food & licensed as "Restaurants". The types of bars that are closed until the Green phase are listed in the last two graphics.
Q. What's the current status?
A. Our Northern Zone moved from Yellow to Orange on May 3, after the Easter holidays. We spent a month in Orange following the Christmas holidays. Otherwise, we've been in Yellow since Sept. 7th, with capacities at 60%. Orange means hotels, restaurants & tourism services dropped to 50% and beach capacity is reduced to 30%.
This past week, Cancun had more new cases than at any time throughout the pandemic and the Governor said cases have been on the rise for the past five weeks. The next update is Thursday night, for May 24-30.
Q. And in Isla Mujeres?
As of yesterday's update, our municipality has reported 30 deaths from C-19, with a total of 292 official cases and 252 recuperated. A total of 5915 vaccines have been administered to residents. Throughout the state, over a quarter million doses have been given.
Today, May 16...Yesterday,
the Governor congratulated teachers on their Day and said they will
soon be vaccinated and ready for the next school year. He gave them
recognition for their resilience in meeting the challenges of continuing
to educate students from home. La Tertulia reports that vaccines will
be administered to Isla Mujeres teachers on May 18-20 at the Naval base,
noting that a significant number were vaccinated who are seniors or 50
and older. They should register at https://vacunacionqroo.seq.gob.mx and bring their CURP.
May 12--The
City government announces that there will be momentary interruptions in
traffic on Rueda Medina near the (cargo) ferry tonight, tomorrow and
Friday between 8p & 5a, due to maneuvers by the large trucks
transporting trash to the Continental Zone landfill from the Trash
Transfer Facility on the island.
May 11--Noti
Isla Mujeres reports that no one was injured & officials are
investigating an armed robbery at "Pizza Mike's", located in colonia
Chica Salina near the Guadalupe Chapel. It says a safe and the day's
cash were taken.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
This blog is brought to you by....
MaraVilla CaribeBed & BeachFour rentals with large glass doors overlooking our white
sand beach and
the beautiful Caribbean sea, with
kitchenettes & fast WIFI.In the upscale
neighborhood of Bachilleres,
convenient to downtown
or
the colonias, yet
separate. Quiet & Private.
Free
amenities include hammocks,
portable beach
chairs, beach towels,
washer & dryer, loungers, shared bikes, BBQ grill, and safes. Panoramic
views from the
rooftop terrace. Large sliding doors open to a patio &
the white sand backyard-beach, overlooking the Caribbean sea. Downtown
is ~ a mile away; we're on
all four bus routes or flag a $3 taxi. Off street parking. In the quiet
neighborhood of Bachilleres, sleep to the sounds of the sea.. $275/$325/$425 wk $40/50/$65nt Monthly Discounts
Fine
dining a few steps away at Da Luisa or try the
neighborhood eateries a couple blocks farther. We provide a list of
links & direction to over 20 eateries within ten minutes walk,
including Mango Cafe, Mike's Pizza,
Brisas, Rosa Sirena, Coco Jaguar, Manolitos, Green Verde, Kash Kechen
Chuc, and the
large department store-grocery Chedraui & the local craft brewery. Visit marinas, bars, &
beach
clubs that are minutes away by bike or on foot. Attend Yoga classes a
couple villas away at Casa
Ixchel. Fresh juice, produce & tortillas a few blocks
away in the village, as well as a
variety of other stores.
Full moon Wednesday, May 26 rises at 7:57p over the Caribbean & the sun sets at 7:14
Thurs, May 27 at 9:05p
Fri, May 28 at 10:10p
Sat. May 29 at 11:08p
Sun, May 30 at 11:59p
Sunrise in May~6:00 (first of month)-5:47a (end of month)
Public events have been suspended due to C-19, mostly. Some holidays have featured online competitions and events.
May 1 Labor Day Official Holiday.
May 3 Dia de la Cruz is celebrated by construction workers in
Mexico, and is associated with St Helena (Elena in Spanish). Crosses are
placed atop construction projects, and crews take a break to pray and
eat together, with food & drink supplied by the owner.
May 5 "Cinco de Mayo" Anniversary of the Battle of Puebla against the French. (Not celebrated on the isle, except at a few Happy Hours.)
May 10 Mother's Day
Photo by Tony Garcia
Whale Shark Season officially begins May 15, if the permits are issued
on time. Rays can also be seen enjoying the 'buffet' that
attracts the whale sharks to this area. There are abundant fish eggs
and plankton in the areas where they congregate and feed. It ends in mid Sept.
May 15 is also Teacher's Day
Sources for Weather Information: LINK to Civil Protection Q Roo weather bulletin (Spanish) LINK to Mexico National Weather Service (Spanish) LINK to satellite images for the Mexico National Weather Service LINK to GOES East Band 16 GIF (animation) LINK to a private weather station on Isla Mujeres
Free
amenities include hammocks,
portable beach
chairs, beach towels,
washer & dryer, loungers, shared bikes, BBQ grill, and safes. Panoramic
views from the
rooftop terrace. Large sliding doors open to a patio &
the white sand backyard-beach, overlooking the Caribbean sea. Downtown
is ~ a mile away; we're on
all four bus routes or flag a $3 taxi. Off street parking. In the quiet
neighborhood of Bachilleres, sleep to the sounds of the sea.. $275/$325/$425 wk $40/50/$65nt
Monthly Discounts
