Yucatan’s beaches get clean bill of health for Easter week

Annual report finds Mexico's cleanest and dirtiest waters

Yucatan’s beaches were found safe for Semana Santa. Photo: File

Yucatan’s beaches are ready for the Holy Week crowd.

That’s the message from the Federal Commission for the Protection against Sanitary Risks (Cofepris), which publishes a coastal health report every year before the Easter holidays. Semana Santa is a traditional beach week in many communities across Mexico.

Health authorities watch for fecal levels in bathing water. In 17 of Yucatan’s beaches, analyzed in March, all showed less than 200 enterococci for every 100 milliliters of water, which is within World Health Organization guidelines.

Samples were taken in Telchac Puerto (42 enterococci / 100 ml), Progreso (60/100), Chelem (42/100), Chuburná Puerto (10/100), Chicxulub Puerto (26/100), Celestún (70/100) and Sisal (30/100).

Also, in San Benito (10/100), San Crisanto (33), Chabihau (24/100), Santa Clara (31/100), Dzilam de Bravo (10/100), San Felipe (13/100), Río Lizards (10/100), Las Coloradas (20/100), El Cuyo (74/100) and Uaymitún (10/100).

It should be noted that although the beaches in Yucatan were declared fit, Progreso, Chelem and Chicxulub have higher enterococcal levels compared with last year.

Mexico’s federal health authority tested seawater of 269 beaches in 17 coastal states. Of those, 268 are suitable for recreational use, while results are pending in the Pacific coast’s Sayulita Beach in Bahía de Banderas Nayarit, which is under permanent sanitary surveillance.

The dirtiest beaches are on Golfo de Santa Clara Machorro and Santa Clara Pueblo Palapa, Sonora; Santiago Beach in Manzanillo, Colima; and playas norte and centro in Isla Mujeres, Quintana Roo, said Cofepris.

The health authority has performed these tests since 2003.

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