One of the most common questions we get from friends and family abroad is about how Baja is handling the COVID situation.
Short version: It feels very safe here.
Longer version: Mexico has recently been making the news for having a high number of people who contract COVID dying as a result. We knew this before we came, and armed ourselves with travel insurance that would both cover COVID and allow us to be medically evacuated back to the US if needed. So, we came down feeling like we had that base covered.
Additionally, Baja California Sur (BCS) has a state-wide mask mandate. If you are in public, you wear a mask. Once you are seated at your table or beach site you can take it off. Yep, you read that correctly—you are required to wear your mask when you walk along the beach. People take this pretty seriously and wear masks almost all of the time. I was shocked to see ladies walking on a part of the beach in Loreto all alone wearing their masks. The signs are everywhere telling you, and the fines are high if you don’t comply.
And, I’ve now had my temperature taken more than I ever have in my life! Every place you walk inside of is required to take your temp and give you a pump of hand sanitizer. Grocery store, coffee shop, restaurant, everything! There’s a person on staff at every location just to handle this task.
As well, they have these mats you are supposed to step on to as you walk into any place. From what best I can tell, it’s a floor mat with water in it. Then, usually followed by a towel on the floor to wipe your shoes off. I’m not sure it’s doing anything besides threatening the life of a girl on crutches by making tile floors throughout town wet, but it seems like they are trying.
The “stoplight” which tells you what level of concern is occurring has changed a few times on us from yellow to orange and back. The biggest impact to us has been the availability of the Malecon (boardwalk). Most of the time it has been open and usable, as long as you wear a mask. The police are actively out enforcing the rules, regardless of what they are.
Like many countries, as of March 2021, there are not a lot of vaccines and locals do not see it as imminent that it will be available to them.
Everything seems like BCS is working really hard to keep everyone safe and we are still being very cautious. Great natural spaces, fewer tourists, and a big focus on outdoor dining helps to allow us to do things while still feeling like we are following all of the rules.