By Luis G. Resendiz
On March 31, 2020, Mexico’s Ministry of Health issued the “March 31 Accord,” ordering the suspension of all non-essential activities. On April 21, 2020, the Ministry of Health amended the March 31 Accord, extending the suspension of all non-essential activities through May 30, 2020. However, the emergency actions contained in the March 31 Accord will not be implemented commencing on May 18, 2020, in municipalities that on such date present no or low rate of transmission of COVID-19. The Ministry of Health will define the criteria to evaluate the rate of transmission of COVID-19.
The amendment requires states to take various actions, including taking steps to reduce the mobility of people among municipalities with different rates of transmission (the Ministry of Health will issue guidelines to reduce transit) and to guaranty the implementation of the measures ordered by the Ministry of Health. These directives are intended to boost the power of the state and municipal authorities to implement the stay-at-home order and increase efforts to combat the spread of COVID-19, including shutting down non-essential businesses that may still be open.
Other parts of the March 31 Accord remain in place, including the list of the activities that qualify as essential, the order to send home all workers in the high-risk groups and the additional measures that must be implemented by essential businesses that stay open. You can find more information about the March 31 Accord in our April 1 article.
Essential companies that are still open in Mexico must be very vigilant to comply with all the requirements to stay open. They also must be prepared to prove they are essential. Our April 6 article contains details of the information authorities are likely to require in the event of an inspection.
