Rocky Point Hopes To Establish Binational 'Health Corridor' With Arizona
Download mp3 (1.4 MB)
Two years ago, Arizona and neighboring Sonora implemented a safety corridor along the highway to the popular beach destination Puerto Peñasco, or Rocky Point. Now, that city is looking to collaborate on a so-called “health corridor” to keep tourists safe during the coronavirus pandemic.
Rocky Point plans to start letting visitors back into the city on June 16, and Mayor Kiko Munro said the seaside town, known as Arizona’s beach, is already implementing measures to keep tourists and residents safe, including temperature checks, rapid testing and enforcing social distancing and mask-wearing.
He’s also been in conversation with Arizona officials to establish binational guidelines for hotels, restaurants and other businesses along the routes travelers take.
“We are already working together with the aim of creating a health corridor from Arizona into Penasco," he said. "We are trying to unify the criteria for hotel operations, restaurant operations in terms of guidelines and protocols to keep them free of [COVID-19]."
Munro hopes binational collaboration will help prevent the spread of the coronavirus, as more people start leaving their homes again in the coming months. And he also the safety measures will give travelers confidence to return to Puerto Peñasco, where many businesses and families are struggling with the lack of visitors.
"I think people are sick of being home. I think they want to get out. I think they want to be in a safe environment, but they also want to be out," he said. "And I think Peñasco is going to be able to provide that."
So far, there have only been three confirmed cases of the coronavirus in Rocky Point.
