Americans have been escaping to Mexico to avoid COVID-19 restrictions back home

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Americans have flocked to Mexico to vacation or to settle, according to multiple reports.

In November, more than half a million Americans traveled to Mexico, The New York Times reported.

The influx of Americans has been partly due to relaxed restrictions at the Mexican border: While many countries require proof of a negative coronavirus test or a quarantine upon arrival, Mexico does not ask for either.

But the influx has contributed to a surge in COVID-19 cases in the country. Mexico has recently reported new highs in daily cases.

To avoid COVID-19 restrictions back home, many Americans have traveled to Mexico to vacation or, in some instances, to settle down.

“A lot of people are either coming down here and visiting to test it out, or have just full-on relocated,” a former New Yorker who has lived in Mexico City for two years told The New York Times.

According to The Times, the number of US visitors entering Mexico doubled from June to August, and more than half a million Americans traveled to Mexico in November.

While the American arrivals have been a boon for the Mexican tourism industry, there have been consequences.

There has been a surge in coronavirus across the country, with authorities recording new peaks in November and December.

According to Worldometer, Mexico recorded more than 12,500 new coronavirus cases on December 23 – the most since the beginning of the pandemic – and the daily figures have since hovered around there.

On Thursday, Mexico reported 1,052 COVID-19 deaths. The country’s highest daily death toll – 1,128 deaths – was recorded on June 4.

As of Sunday, Mexico has recorded more than 1.4 million COVID-19 cases and more than 126,000 deaths, according to Johns Hopkins University data. The country has the fourth-highest COVID-19 death toll in the world.

The surge in cases has been partly attributed to Americans entering the country, The Washington Post and the Los Angeles Times reported in December. The US has recorded the highest number of COVID-19 cases and deaths in the world.

Source: Business Insider