Elected leaders in San Diego County joined together to call for the lifting of travel restrictions on the land border between Mexico and the United States, agreeing that they have generated economic losses for the region.
“As we embark on this post-pandemic recovery, we cannot fully do so until the border fully reopens,” said San Diego Mayor Todd Gloria after touring a vaccination point near the – now closed – PedWest border crossing. .
“This is justified as we have seen vaccination rates grow, while infection rates decline,” he added.
Gloria was accompanied at a press conference by the mayors, Serge Dedina, from Imperial Beach and Alejandra Sotelo-Solís, from National City, as well as the county supervisor, Nora Vargas.
The land border between Mexico and the United States has been closed to non-essential travel since March 2020, as a measure to slow the spread of the coronavirus.
Since then, the travel restrictions have been extended month by month.
This week, the US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) confirmed that restrictions on non-essential travel will remain in effect until at least July 21. Tourism is considered a non-essential motive.
Local authorities noted current vaccination efforts on both sides of the border.
In San Diego County, about 77 percent of the population 12 years and older have received at least one dose, and 65 percent are fully vaccinated.
Meanwhile in Baja California, about 1.2 million Johnson & Johnson vaccines were administered and donated to Mexico by the US government.
It is estimated that more than 60 percent of the eligible population has already been vaccinated.
“People are getting vaccinated in Tijuana and Baja California, that’s good news. Now, we need the border to open, ”reiterated Serge Dedina, Mayor of Imperial Beach.
“It is urgent that the border be opened. Not tomorrow, right now, ”he added.
The economic losses due to this measure have spread throughout the county.
In San Ysidro alone, about 200 businesses that depended largely on customers crossing the border from Mexico have been forced to close due to restrictions, Supervisor Nora Vargas said.
Last month, the San Ysidro Chamber of Commerce estimated that between March 2020 and March 2021 its businesses lost more than $ 644 million in sales and 1,900 jobs.
“The economic impact has been devastating to our communities,” Vargas said.
Sotelo-Solís of National City, added that it is time for federal authorities in both Mexico and the United States to consider all the families that have been affected by this measure.
Gloria indicated that she has been in contact with authorities in the administration of President Biden to make them aware of these concerns in the border region.
Although this decision will be made at the federal level, local leaders assure that they will not take their finger off the line until they are heard. “This is about small businesses in San Diego,” Gloria noted. “They need us to speak on their behalf.”
The official added that he would like at least the federal authorities to inform them under what conditions and parameters the border would reopen, since so far such information is unknown.
“If we had that information we would give hope to many of these businesses,” he said. “Give us a goal and we will achieve it.”
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