Masks No Longer Required At Los Cabos Airport

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Last Updated 2 years ago

It was announced yesterday, 12^th October, that visitors to Los Cabos will no longer be required to wear face masks at Los Cabos Airport, as well as on certain airlines. 

The new protocols have been introduced across Mexico, meaning that the use of masks will be optional in all airport terminals across the country. The new measures were announced by the Federal Civil Aviation Agency (AFAC), which is in charge of ensuring the country imposes and keeps up to date with health and safety measures imposed by the Ministry of Health. 

The ‘New Normality Committee’, which is made up of representatives from state departments such as Health, Economy, and Social Welfare, was set up to deal with the frequent changes caused by Covid-19. Yesterday, they presented the new guidelines for airports and airlines. 

They stated that the guidelines were based on information regarding the effects of wearing facemasks in both open and closed spaces and were intended to reduce the risk of contagion among the population based on current case levels. 

In certain situations, they have advised that face masks should continue to be worn in closed spaces that do not have ventilation. The airport facilities in Los Cabos use extremely large, state-of-the-art ventilation systems. On top of this, select airlines with whom AFAC is working use sophisticated filtration systems that eliminate 99.9% of bacteria that could lead to contagion among passengers. 

The decision was largely based on these factors, as well as lower case numbers, meaning that unless significant changes regarding the pandemic are observed, face masks will not be mandatory from today onwards. 

Miguel Cravioto, a representative for Los Cabos International Airport, also issued a statement saying that the new recommendations from the health authorities will be updated and passengers made aware of the changes. 

The Pacific Airport Group, of which Los Cabos Airport is a member, did also say, however, that it respects individual passengers’ decisions to continue to use preventative measures such as face masks, regardless of the new rules. 

They recommended that if any passenger who is traveling shows Covid-19 symptoms or symptoms of any respiratory disease, then the use of face masks is highly recommended to prevent contagion towards other travelers.

Mexico follows a number of other countries that have already removed or reduced Covid restrictions in this way. However, leaving it until now may have been one reason why the region was so successful in dealing with the pandemic. 

Los Cabos only fully reopened to tourists without travel restrictions in February while keeping measures such as face masks and sanitizing in place. The area saw around five distinct surges in case numbers throughout the pandemic, with the most recent surge being in June of this year.

However, since then, case numbers have dropped significantly, and Los Cabos now has some of its lowest-ever case numbers, leading to the decision to reduce many restrictions for both locals and tourists. 

Even with lingering restrictions, Los Cabos has become one of the world’s most popular tourist destinations this year and was recently voted as having the best beaches in North America. 

Other accolades held by the region include one of America’s best diving spots, the best swimming pools, and the most beautiful restaurants. It is unsurprising that Los Cabos has therefore become extremely popular with celebrities. Recently a party of famous faces, including the Red Hot Chili Peppers, Chris Rock, and Woody Harrelson, were all spotted holidaying in the area. 

Los Cabos’ tourism boom is expected to continue ticking up over the next few months as high season begins, with hundreds of cruise ships expected, as well as millions of passenger arrivals via Los Cabos Airport.