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BajaNomad
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Can you visit Baja now? Maybe. Here’s what you need to know. (latimes)
--
Christopher Reynolds
JULY 22, 2020
Los Cabos, Mexico — Is this the time for a vacation in Baja?
Absolutely not, says California’s governor, backed by legions of local and state health officials who discourage nonessential travel and are alarmed
by the continued spread of COVID-19 on both sides of the border.
Yes, say scores of Mexican hoteliers and travel industry workers, desperate for income and eager to explain new safety measures.
Check with the U.S. government, and the answer depends on which agency you ask — and whether you’re driving or flying.
Meanwhile, scores of hotels in Baja California have opened in recent weeks, betting that thousands of Americans are ready to head south. Airlines are
adding Baja flights too, even as Canada and much of Europe have banned U.S. tourists, and the U.S. has banned tourists from much of Europe.
Baja California Sur’s governor, Carlos Mendoza Davis, said these reopening rules would stay in effect despite infection rates that have pushed the
peninsula’s southern half into the most severe category in the Mexican Ministry of Health’s COVID-19 risk rankings.
Baja California Sur includes Los Cabos, La Paz, Loreto and the southern portion of the Baja peninsula. The northern portion of the peninsula is the
state of Baja California, which includes Tijuana, Ensenada and Mexicali.
With infections and deaths rising fast in the U.S. and Mexico and a big chunk of the Baja peninsula’s economy at stake, here are some questions and
answers to consider.
What do U.S. agencies say? If you’re flying from LAX to Los Cabos, you’re defying the advice of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention, which warns “against nonessential international travel” because it “increases your chances of getting and spreading” COVID-19.
You’re also ignoring the U.S. State Department’s global health advisory, which advises U.S. citizens to “avoid all international travel due to
the global impact of COVID-19.”
But as long as you fly, you’re not breaking any laws. When the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and Mexico agreed in March to forbid
nonessential travel across their borders, the ban included cars, commuter rail and ferry travel, but it left out travel by “air, rail or sea.”
U.S. and Mexican officials agreed last week to renew that pact through Aug. 20.
Many government and media sources have glided over the air/land travel distinction. On June 16, for instance, the Department of Homeland Security
issued a fact sheet saying that U.S. agreements with Mexico and Canada “limit all nonessential travel across borders,” with no mention of flights.
“That is a confusion in the mind-set of the potential travelers,” Los Cabos Tourist Board’s managing director, Rodrigo Esponda, said Thursday.
Asked about this provision, the U.S. State Department referred emails to the Department of Homeland Security, which did not respond.
How much is reopening in southern Baja? Since early June, 72 of 85 major hotels have opened in Los Cabos, many promising stricter safety standards and
more flexible reservations. Esponda estimated that room prices are largely unchanged from pre-pandemic levels, with an average daily rate of about
$300.
Government officials have urged people to wear cubrebocas in public areas. The Los Cabos Tourism Board said visitors should expect to answer a health
questionnaire and have their temperature taken at the airport and at 22 local beaches where authorities say they are enforcing limits on crowding.
Though bars that don’t serve food are closed, Esponda said 16 of the area’s 18 golf courses and about 300 of its 2,000 restaurants are now open.
Hotels, allowed to rent up to 30% of their rooms, have already reached 20% occupancy, Esponda said, and roughly two of every five guests are from
California.
Novel coronavirus infections, however, have increased in recent weeks. In municipalities outside Los Cabos, including La Paz, Comondú and Mulegé,
authorities have closed beaches.
“It was completely logical, expected and planned that there would be a slight increase in the number of cases in Los Cabos,” Esponda said.
“It’s a very tricky situation, and we’re at the confluence of health and the economy,” said Bryan Jáuregui, who co-owns Los Colibris Casitas
in the beach town of Todos Santos.
Jáuregui, whose guests in summer are mostly from Mexico, said she and others in the area have had dual missions: adding new workplace health measures
and helping local charities feed thousands of families in Los Cabos, Todos Santos and beyond whose tourism jobs have not yet returned.
How do coronavirus infection rates compare among California, Baja California and Baja California Sur?
California has the worst rate of recent reported infections per capita, followed by Baja California Sur and then Baja California.
In the state of Baja California (the more populous northern half of the peninsula), a New York Times tally showed reported 12,053 cases and 2,397
deaths as of July 21, including 35 new cases per 100,000 people in the previous seven days.
http://www.bajacalifornia.gob.mx/coronavirus
In Baja California Sur, the same count showed 3,217 cases and 118 deaths, including 100 new cases per 100,000 people in the previous seven days.
https://coronavirus.bcs.gob.mx/english/
Meanwhile, in California, the July 21 count showed 400,195 cases and 7,764 deaths, including 162 new cases per 100,000 people in the previous seven
days.
If Californians travel, the state’s Department of Public Health‘s public affairs office said, “It should be for urgent matters or if such travel
is essential to your permitted work. Avoid travelling long distances for vacations or pleasure as much as possible. This is to slow the spread of the
coronavirus.”
Who is flying between LAX and Los Cabos? In April, just 1,200 international passengers arrived at Los Cabos airport, followed by 1,550 in May, by the
count of Grupo Aeroportuario del Pacífico. The number in June was 11,350 — well short of the 158,650 that arrived in June 2019, but rising fast.
By early July, Alaska, American and Delta were flying daily between LAX and Los Cabos. Alaska (which also flies to Los Cabos from San Jose and San
Diego and from LAX to Loreto twice weekly) in August plans to add a San Francisco-Los Cabos flight and a second LAX-Los Cabos flight. United on Aug. 3
will start flying five times a week between Los Cabos and LAX, and also between Los Cabos and San Francisco.
Are restrictions the same in Baja and Baja Sur? No. As in the U.S., health assessments and pandemic rules vary between states and within states and
have changed frequently. However, 30% capacity limits are common in hotels and restaurants in both states. In Baja California state, which includes
Tijuana, Rosarito, Ensenada and Guadalupe Valley wine country, higher rates of infection and death in the spring prompted tighter federal
restrictions. In Ensenada, transit was limited and a curfew imposed.
On July 15, Rosarito officials announced that all municipal beaches would be closed on Saturdays and Sundays, with limited open hours on weekdays,
until further notice.
“Different municipalities are doing different things,” said Shauna Hill, customer service manager at Baja Bound Mexican Insurance, which sells
policies online to Americans driving across the border. Because things change so frequently, Hill suggested prospective visitors follow social media
posts by local governments.
What about U.S.-Baja cruises? Not this summer. The CDC has had a “no sail order” in effect in U.S. waters since March; it is expected to last at
least through Sept. 30.
How many people are driving across the border? U.S. Transportation Department statistics show that in May, more than 1 million vehicles crossed into
the U.S. at San Ysidro. That’s less than half as many as in May 2019, but suggests that many bi-national commuters in San Diego and Tijuana have
resumed their cross-border journeys. (The U.S. Transportation Department doesn’t count vehicles driving into Mexico.)
What about crime? By Mexican government count, Tijuana was the nation’s No. 1 homicide site in 2019. The city, with 1.3 million residents, suffered
more than 2,100 homicides last year. Los Angeles, with 4 million residents, had fewer than 300 last year. State-by-state homicide statistics for the
first half of 2020 show show Baja California Sur among those with the fewest killings and Baja California among those with the most.
--
https://www.latimes.com/travel/story/2020-07-22/can-you-vaca...
When I was young, I admired clever people. Now that I am old, I admire kind people.
– Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel
We know we must go back if we live, and we don`t know why.
– John Steinbeck, Log from the Sea of Cortez
Affordable Domain Name Registration/Management & cPanel Web Hosting:
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CaboMagic
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As always, we surely do thank you Doug for maintaining this forum as a Means ( to
provide and share information!
Tourism is life's blood - for us that's primarily Cabo San Lucas, San Jose del Cabo, Todos Santos, Los Barilles, East Cape, La Paz.
In Cabo where our operations are, strict protocols are in place and self-enforced because everyone wants to be able to do what they do - be it work at
a hotel/resort, restaurant, or be a crew on a fishing charter.
Wishing all good health .. be safe be kind and be healthy. L&T
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Ateo
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A few things to think about here for travelers from around the world to the Baja peninsula....
Do you want to be 1000’s of miles away from home IF you were to get sick and inundate the local hospitals in Baja?
Although these tourist resorts are probably doing their best to enforce social distancing rules and mask wearing, you just can’t control human
beings on that level. There will always be the occasional jerk who hops on the elevator with you and your family (after reading those resort posted
warning signs) without a mask then claims Covid isn’t real.
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thebajarunner
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Hotel Coral in Ensenada continues to batter me with daily special offers.
Obviously someone down there wants us back.
Sure wish that I could feel up to it.
Right now sticking pretty close to home
(And home ain't so bad right here, the Sierras 30 minutes away, Yosemite just an hour. Keeping plenty of distance, but still getting into the out of
doors.)
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shari
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The cases in the municipality of Mulege are mostly outbreaks in places like the mine in Sta. Rosalia and the salt works in Guerrero Negro...places
where lots of people are working.
It's not the tourists bringing it to the towns but the locals travel all over the place visiting family and friends from tip to tip of the peninsula.
Now that many arent working, there is even more traveling to and fro.
It's not the tourist that are the problem here in the small towns.
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SFandH
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I think it is inevitable, the more tourists the more infections. That sure looks to be true in Los Cabos and La Paz.
We're hoping to return to BCS in October. And it's going to be difficult to not fall back into the old and fun habit of socializing in the evenings.
Even if bars and restaurants are open, we're staying out. Restaurant food to go.
[Edited on 7-24-2020 by SFandH]
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David K
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Quote: Originally posted by shari  | The cases in the municipality of Mulege are mostly outbreaks in places like the mine in Sta. Rosalia and the salt works in Guerrero Negro...places
where lots of people are working.
It's not the tourists bringing it to the towns but the locals travel all over the place visiting family and friends from tip to tip of the peninsula.
Now that many arent working, there is even more traveling to and fro.
It's not the tourist that are the problem here in the small towns.
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BINGO!
Thanks for the refreshing facts, Shari. I hope you and your family stay well and free from the hysteria.
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Ateo
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There have been 642,000 people killed by this virus. That number is sure to go higher, just as it has, every day, until people learn to wear a mask,
wash their hands, social distance, and then hopefully science will save our ahhsssees with a vaccine soon.
Hope for the best....
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Bajazly
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| Quote: Originally posted by shari | The cases in the municipality of Mulege are mostly outbreaks in places like the mine in Sta. Rosalia and the salt works in Guerrero Negro...places
where lots of people are working.
It's not the tourists bringing it to the towns but the locals travel all over the place visiting family and friends from tip to tip of the peninsula.
Now that many arent working, there is even more traveling to and fro.
It's not the tourist that are the problem here in the small towns.
|
Isn't one a tourist when one travels? So it matters not from where you are, traveling around within your state or country still makes you a tourist.
More accurately in may be said that gringos from the states MAY not be contributing to the spread but they ain't setting any lowball records up there
so...
Believing is religion - Knowing is science
Harald Pietschmann
"Get off the beaten path and memories, friends and new techniques are developed"
Bajazly, August 2019
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BajaNomad
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--
You may use the words "tourist" and "traveler" interchangeably, but to some people in the travel community, these titles have different
implications...
Tourists
It's usually easy for locals to spot a tourist among them. A tourist may carry a camera, guidebook and map at all times and wear the same clothing
he'd wear at home. Tourists tend to stay in their comfort zones a bit; they may speak only English instead of trying to learn phrases in the local
language; stick to major cities instead of venturing to smaller towns or off-the-beaten-path locales; and stay in areas where the amenities are
similar to what they have at home.
Travelers
Generally speaking, someone who considers himself a traveler will try to immerse himself in the local culture rather than standing out. If you're a
traveler, you may try to explore the less-traveled areas and explore locations where tourism doesn't drive the economy. You'll interact with locals.
Your goals for a trip will be to learn and experience new things, rather than to take a relaxing break from everyday life. A traveler may consider a
trip a journey rather than a vacation.
--
https://traveltips.usatoday.com/differences-between-tourist-...
https://www.google.com/search?q=tourist+vs+traveler
[Edited on 7-26-2020 by BajaNomad]
When I was young, I admired clever people. Now that I am old, I admire kind people.
– Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel
We know we must go back if we live, and we don`t know why.
– John Steinbeck, Log from the Sea of Cortez
Affordable Domain Name Registration/Management & cPanel Web Hosting:
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David K
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Both "tourists" and "travelers" are people from somewhere else, and that is clearly what Shari was describing.
Doug describes the two types of visitors to Mexico well.
A note: Travelers (like me) get 'Tourist Cards' when crossing the border (FMM). 
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weebray
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Udder hogwash. Various "tourist council's" (insert your own name) are giving Cabo and La Paz grandios awards for "sanitary protocols etc. etc. Here in
the trenches, last night, a cruise down the malecon reveled packed bars, 20+ active participants at skate board park and a closed boardwalk leaving
the sidewalk on the other side of the street jammed up with hawkers and exhibitionists. Masks were an oddity. Simple fact is covid rules and,
devestating as it may be, everything needs to shut down now and people need to stop leaving their own homes. People all over the world are stupid and
last night proved it. Business owners everywhere and on this forum need to stop trying to sugar coat the problem.
Every beautiful beach in the world needs a few condo towers - NOT.
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BajaTed
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All of the states that are hot are aligned with the Interstate 5 and Interstate 10 Highways that are travel bottlenecks in this part of the country.
The macro issue of traveling people was the biggest concern of the 1918 pandemic, not the micro issue of individual masks.
Rant over, where's my Lone Star......
Es Todo Bueno
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weebray
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Happy to buy you a beer Ted and you don't need a mask either. Just stay home.
Every beautiful beach in the world needs a few condo towers - NOT.
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LancairDriver
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Liberal hero Bill Maher has some advise for his followers on dealing with COVID 19
https://en.as.com/en/2020/05/14/videos/1589446304_213362.htm...
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Lee
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Did you watch this? You must be a liberal. I was good for 10 seconds.
Trolling with dog whistles, here? Let's turn the virus into a political debate.
US Marines: providing enemies of America an opportunity to die for their country since 1775.
What I say before any important decision.
F*ck it.
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LancairDriver
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| Quote: Originally posted by Lee |
Did you watch this? You must be a liberal. I was good for 10 seconds.
10 seconds? The limit of your attention span?
I’m about as far from liberal as you can get.
In case it has escaped your attention span, the virus is already a political debate.
Trolling with dog whistles, here? Let's turn the virus into a political debate.
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[Edited on 7-26-2020 by LancairDriver]
[Edited on 7-26-2020 by LancairDriver]
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weebray
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Some were trying to politicize the issue but truly it's turning in to an economic issue. I totally understand the squeeze many industries are in. My
son has a restaurant in LA and it's teetering. How many lives do we trade for the economy? How critical is surfing, bar hopping, opulent buffets or
sportfishing to our lives? No one is starving and the safety net in Mexico is strong. Here in Mexico the dirt pimps and devolepers are starting to
feel the pinch but have a lot of fat to protect them for the near future. Still they rattle the cage to open the gates.
Every beautiful beach in the world needs a few condo towers - NOT.
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JZ
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| Quote: Originally posted by weebray | | Udder hogwash. Various "tourist council's" (insert your own name) are giving Cabo and La Paz grandios awards for "sanitary protocols etc. etc. Here in
the trenches, last night, a cruise down the malecon reveled packed bars, 20+ active participants at skate board park and a closed boardwalk leaving
the sidewalk on the other side of the street jammed up with hawkers and exhibitionists. Masks were an oddity. Simple fact is covid rules and,
devestating as it may be, everything needs to shut down now and people need to stop leaving their own homes. People all over the world are stupid and
last night proved it. Business owners everywhere and on this forum need to stop trying to sugar coat the problem. |
The virus isn't going away. A vaccine isn't coming soon.
Life has to go on. Kids need to go back to school. Businesses need to open. Football needs to be played.
Ppl at risk need to stay home or be extra safe when they venture out. Those are just the hard cold facts. Otherwise, we will all die.
[Edited on 7-26-2020 by JZ]
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JZ
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[Edited on 7-26-2020 by JZ]
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