Although several cities in Mexico continue in the red phase because of COVID-19, people have used high temperatures as an excuse to leave their houses, to go to the beach, and enjoy the weather. 

Such is the case with tourists in Puerto Morelos, Quintana Roo. Even though shores remain closed, they flock to the public beaches as if it were just another holiday.

Although beaches in Quintana Roo continue to be closed because of the red reopening phase, locals and tourists have figured a way to jump the fences and sneak in.

Because of this, a man dressed as the “Holy Death” (Santa Muerte) has decided to walk the beaches as a friendly reminder of the situation the world is living or, at least, reminding people to follow the health protocols implemented by the government.

The gesture is a measure to scare off people and help to reduce the contagion.

The man walks the shore to create consciousness among people hanging out so they can realize how bad the situation really is and how close they are to death.

It seems like people have lost perspective of the situation by thinking that the number of deaths by COVID-19 is just a number, forgetting the value of life itself. 

Some of the tourists and the locals appreciated the effort, while others ignored it and even took pictures with the man in death’s disguise.

In some of the photos, it is clear that many people ignore the health protocols without wearing masks or keeping social distance between them and the “Holy Death” (literally). 

Even though the gesture may look funny, the truth is that it carries a deeper meaning that tries to make people conscious of the tough situation.

Something similar happened in Florida a couple of weeks ago with Daniel Uhlfelder, a lawyer who walked the beaches dressed as the Grim Reaper as a show of protest against reopening, which he believed was premature.

On August 2, Quintana Roo exceeded 1,000 deaths, with Mexico accounting for over 47,000, as one of the top five countries by COVID-19 deaths. 

It’s ironic that people strictly followed the hygiene rules and stayed home just at the beginning of the pandemic. 

However, a few months later, when things are worse than ever, people are tired of following the norms and have decided to go out, throwing away the months they stayed in quarantine.