The federal government has issued a health assessment of beaches in Oaxaca, declaring that the six main ones in Puerto Escondido are suitable for recreational use.
The beaches of Puerto Angelito, Carrizalillo, Marinero, Zicatela, Principal and Bacocho were monitored in the weeks leading up to the two-week-long Holy Week vacation period, all showing results below the threshold of 200 enterococci per 100 milliliters of water.
The Federal Commission for Protection Against Sanitary Risks (Cofepris) determines if a beach is suitable for beachgoers following guidelines established by the World Health Organization (WHO), as well as its own operational manual for surveillance of seawater for recreational use.
The testing was carried out in collaboration with state health authorities and a national network of public health laboratories, and in Oaxaca it focused on 15 beaches in the Puerto Escondido, Puerto Ángel and Huatulco areas.
In Huatulco, beaches Maguey, Bahía Santa Cruz, La Entrega, Chahué, La Bocana and Tangolunda complied with safety standards, as did those of Principal, Panteón and Zipolite, in Puerto Ángel.
Routine testing of the water at popular beach destinations is carried out in order to be able to identify risks to the health of the local population, as well as that of national and foreign tourists throughout the year.
A positive result gives beachgoers the certainty that they will be able to safely enjoy themselves, as it lowers the risk of suffering digestive, respiratory, eye or skin diseases.
State health authorities urged residents and visitors at these destinations to collaborate in maintaining the cleanliness of the beaches.
Across the country, Cofepris analyzed 2,152 water samples from the 289 beaches that see the highest number of visitors in Mexico, finding 286 of them suitable for recreational use.
With reports by Central Q
Something smells int the land of water tests at beaches. Can they be trusted, or are there payments made, or testing at times when the water seems cleaner than others. There is a wide variety, for instance, in the apparent cleanliness in the water at Playa Manzanillo… it depends on the day and the tide.