Mexico closes Yucatan tourist site due to surge of maskless visitors

Mexico closed a Yucatan ruins tourist site due to a surge in maskless visitors, according to The Associated Press.

Authorities are closing the Chichén Itzá Maya ruin site from April 1-4 in an attempt to avoid the spread of the coronavirus, AP reported.

The news outlet noted that the temple complex usually brings in 1.8 million tourists per year. 

Lucio Hernández Gutiérrez, acting police chief of the state of Quintana Roo, told AP that it was “regrettable” to see how bad things had gotten in the area. 

“It is regrettable to see how undisciplined things have become,” he told AP. “It was truly frustrating to see hundreds of people walking around without face masks.”

He added that tourists were the “worst offenders.” 

AP also reported that the multiday ceremony of the crucifixion of Jesus Christ will be held in Mexico City without spectators for the second year in a row, citing risk of the pandemic.

The news comes a day after Mexico passed 200,000 coronavirus deaths on Thursday, according to Reuters.

A count from Johns Hopkins University puts the nation’s death toll at 200,211 as of Friday afternoon.

Mexico’s death toll follows Brazil, which has logged 303,462 deaths, and the United States, which has recorded 546,822 deaths.

Mexico has recorded more than 2.2 million coronavirus infections since the pandemic began.