After a number of weeks operating with lighter restrictions on hours and occupancy, businesses in the Sonoran capital Hermosillo, are preparing for the return of tougher rules.

The whole state rose to orange on the federal semáforo — or traffic light — pandemic risk scale a few weeks ago, while city officials insisted that Hermosillo was at yellow, or moderate risk. Now its own risk measure also says the city’s situation has worsened, and tougher restrictions are expected soon.

“We’re worried,” said Manuel Lira, the Sonoran representative of Canirac, which represents restaurants nationwide. “This means that in some way we’re going to have restrictions on hours. The proposal is that we close at 10 at night, and the reduction in occupancy looks like 25% for closed spaces.”

But he’s also worried about the pandemic situation worsening, which could mean continued tight restrictions through some of the industry’s most important months. He said he’d like to see businesses that don’t follow the rules sanctioned or closed.

→ Get The Latest News On COVID-19 In Arizona