What Is The Traffic Light System in Mexico?
Right now the world is attempting to open up from the lockdown that was necessary because of COVID-19. Many people, including me are ready to travel and visit our favorite places in the world. Mexico is one of those spots, specifically Cancún, Mexico.
The traffic light system in Mexico is a simple way to communicate the risk of using public space and contracting COVID-19. The light system is made up of four colors, Red, Orange, Yellow, and Green. Here is what they mean:
- Red – If your area has a red light it means it is risky to be out and only essential economic activities will be allowed in public spaces.
- Orange – Companies that are non-essential will be allowed to work with 30% of the staff for their operation. Public spaces will be opened at a reduced capacity of people.
- Yellow – Public spaces are open and all work activities are allowed. Special care will be taken for those who present the highest risk.
- Green – All activities, including school are allowed.
You can read more about Mexico’s traffic light system on this website.
How is the color determined?
There are four different categories that the Mexican government is looking at when it comes to declaring the color of the state. They are:
- the trend in numbers of new cases
- hospital occupancy trends
- current hospital occupancy rates
- percentage of positive cases
A state will receive the red traffic light if even one of these indicators is red. The Mexican government updates the designations on Friday and then the changes take place the following Monday.
Which states should I be worried about?
If you’re traveling to Mexico it would be helpful to know which states are which colors. The state we right about the most, Quintana Roo, is currently Orange.
As of June 23, seventeeen states are orange and sixteen remain red. Here is helpful chart.
| State | Red | Orange | Yellow | Green |
| Aguascalientes | Yes | |||
| Baja California Sur | Yes | |||
| Campeche | Yes | |||
| Chihuahua | Yes | |||
| Coahuila | Yes | |||
| Durango | Yes | |||
| Guanajuato | Yes | |||
| Jalisco | Yes | |||
| Michoacán | Yes | |||
| Nuevo León | Yes | |||
| Quintana Roo | Yes | |||
| San Luis Potosí | Yes | |||
| Tabasco | Yes | |||
| Tamaulipas | Yes | |||
| Yucatán | Yes | |||
| Zacatecas | Yes | |||
| Baja California | Yes | |||
| Chiapas | Yes | |||
| Ciudad de Mexico | Yes | |||
| Colima | Yes | |||
| Estado de Mexico | Yes | |||
| Guerrero | Yes | |||
| Hidalgo | Yes | |||
| Morelos | Yes | |||
| Nayarit | Yes | |||
| Oaxaca | Yes | |||
| Puebla | Yes | |||
| Queretaro | Yes | |||
| Sinaloa | Yes | |||
| Sonora | Yes | |||
| Tlaxcala | Yes | |||
| Veracruz | Yes |
What color light is Cancún on?
Cancún is located in the state of Quintana Roo and is currently on orange. Under “orange” hotels can operate at 50% of their capacity. In some cases, hotel guests may be asked to provide an employer letter certifying that their travel is essential.
Hotel guests that appear to have respiratory symptoms will be referred to local health officials.
Below is a chart of all types of activities in the state of Quintana Roo. It shows which ones are essential and what you can and cannot do.
| Activity or Location | Who Can Go? | Red Light | Orange Light | Yellow Light | Green Light |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Groceries, tortillerías, butchers, supermarkets, fruits and vegetables, hardware, tendejón, convenience store, poultry and bakeries | Essential | Essential | Essential | Essential | Essential |
| Outdoor activities | Healthy Distance | healthy distance | healthy distance | healthy distance | healthy distance |
| legislative activities | Essential | Essential | Essential | Essential | Essential |
| Travel agency | Employees | 15% | 30% | 60% | 100% |
| Storage | Essential | Essential | Essential | Essential | Essential |
| Car rentals | Employees | 15% | 30% | 60% | 100% |
| Associations, organizations and religious services | Percent of Capacity | 0% | 30% | 60% | 100% |
| Banks and financial institutions | Essential | Essential | Essential | Essential | Essential |
| Bars, discos, nightclubs, cabarets, entertainment centers, piano-bar, breweries, pubs, billiards, bowling, coffee singer, karaoke bar, disco bar, social clubs and casinos | Percent of Capacity | 0% | 0% | 0% | 100% |
| Internet cafe | Percent of Capacity | 15% | 30% | 60% | 100% |
| Golf Courses | Percent of Capacity | 15% | 30% | 60% | 100% |
| Hunting and trapping, breeding and farm animals, forestry and related services | Employees | 50% | 75% | 85% | 100% |
| shopping malls, department stores and the retail trade of clothing, novelties, boutiques and shoes | Percent of Capacity | 0% | 30% | 60% | 100% |
| Commerce on public roads (**) | Number of posts | 15% | 30% | 60% | 100% |
| Building | Essential | Essential | Essential | Essential | Essential |
| Corporate, securities and investment activities | Employees | 15% | 30% | 80% | 100% |
| Hosting companies | Rooms | 15% | 30% | 60% | 100% |
| social events, groups, conventions and DMC's | Persons | 0% | 0% | 50% | 100% |
| Manufacture of transport equipment | Employees | 30% | 30% | 60% | 100% |
| Manufacture of machinery and equipment | Employees | 30% | 30% | 60% | 100% |
| Manufacture of clothing | Employees | 0% | 30% | 60% | 100% |
| Product Manufacturing Nonmetallic minerals | Employees | 30% | 30% | 60% | 100% |
| Manufacture of products of petroleum and coal | Employees | 30% | 30% | 60% | 100% |
| Fabricated metal products | Employees | 30% | 30% | 60% | 100% |
| Photography, video and sound | Employees | 0% | 30% | 60% | 100% |
| Gyms and sports clubs | Percent of Capacity | 0% | 0% | 0% | 100% |
| Tourist guides | Employees | 15% | 30% | 60% | 100% |
| Hospitals, doctors' offices, pharmacies, pharmacies, drug stores and dentists | Essential | Essential | Essential | Essential | Essential |
| Printing and publishing of newspapers, magazines and books | Employees | Essential | Essential | Essential | Essential |
| Wood industry and furniture manufacturing | Employees | 0% | 30% | 60% | 100% |
| Real estate, leasing of real estate and condominium management | Percent of Capacity | 15% | 30% | 60% | 100% |
| laundromats | Essential | Essential | Essential | Essential | Essential |
| Marine tourism, public and private water sports | Seating | 15% | 30% | 60% | 100% |
| Mining | Essential | Essential | Essential | Essential | Essential |
| Museums and Historic Sites | Percent of Capacity | 15% | 30% | 60% | 100% |
| Operators adventure / nature | Employees | 15% | 30% | 60% | 100% |
| Dive operators and water activities | Persons | 15% | 30% | 60% | 100% |
| Other manufacturing | Employees | 0% | 30% | 60% | 100% |
| Stationers, selling crafts, gifts and novelties, jewelry, jewelry and other personal items | Employees | 0% | 30% | 60% | 100% |
| water parks and spas | Percent of Capacity | 15% | 30% | 60% | 100% |
| Theme parks | Percent of Capacity | 15% | 30% | 60% | 100% |
| Hairdressers, beauty salons, cosmetic, massages and spas | Percent of Capacity | 0% | 30% | 60% | 100% |
| Fisheries and agriculture | Everyone | Essential | Essential | Essential | Essential |
| Beaches and public parks | Percent of Capacity | 0% | 0% | 60% | 100% |
| Water purifiers | Essential | Essential | Essential | Essential | Essential |
| automotive parts, car washes and garages | Percent of Capacity | 15% | 30% | 80% | 100% |
| Restaurants, snacks and soft drinks, soup kitchens, seafood, restaurant-bar, snack bars, taco shops, cafes, pizza, preparation and sale of food | Percent of Capacity | 15% | 30% | 60% | 100% |
| public safety, administration and enforcement of justice | Essential | Essential | Essential | Essential | Essential |
| artistic, cultural and sporting services | Percent of Capacity | 0% | 0% | 60% | 100% |
| accounting and administrative services | Employees | 25% | 50% | 75% | 100% |
| Support services business (cleaning, staffing, secretarial, billing, security, packaging, research, etc.) | Employees | 25% | 50% | 75% | 100% |
| Consulting and advisory services | Employees | 25% | 50% | 75% | 100% |
| Educational services | Depends | Determined by the health and education authorities | Determined by the health and education authorities | Determined by the health and education authorities | Determined by the health and education authorities |
| services professionals, scientists and technicals | Employees | 25% | 50% | 75% | 100% |
| Theaters and cinemas | Seating | 0% | 30% | 60% | 100% |
| tourist conveyor | Seating | 15% | 30% | 60% | 100% |
| Sales of household goods, computers, items for interior decoration and used items | Percent of Capacity | 15% | 30% | 80% | 100% |
| Sale of mobile phones and accessories | Employees | 0% | 30% | 60% | 100% |
| Sale of motor vehicles | Percent of Capacity | 15% | 30% | 60% | 100% |
Other Resources for Information
- US Embassy & Consulates in Mexico
- Can I Travel to Cancún During Coronavirus?
- Mexican Ministry of Health (Some of this site is not translated to English)
- You can call the Mexican Ministry of Health’s COVID-19 hotline at 800 0044 800 for more info or medical help. There is no guarantee your operator will speak English.
