Canadians told to ‘avoid non-essential travel’ to parts of Mexico

The Government of Canada has issued a travel advisory for Mexico.

Canadians are being told to “exercise a high degree of caution in Mexico” for a number of reason.

That includes high levels of criminal activity, demonstrations, protests and occasional illegal roadblocks throughout the country.

On top of those risks, pregnant women and those considering becoming pregnant are also advised to avoid Mexico because of the Zika virus.

While the Zika virus threat is for all of Mexico, the threats of danger are only in certain areas and the government advises that people “avoid non-essential travel” to those areas.

That includes:

Northern states

• Chihuahua
• Coahuila (except the city of Saltillo)
• Durango
• Nuevo León (except the city of Monterrey)
• Sinaloa (except the city of Mazatlán)
• Sonora (except the cities of Hermosillo and Guaymas/San Carlos)
• Tamaulipas

Western states

• Guerrero (including Acapulco but excluding the cities of Ixtapa/Zihuatanejo and Taxco)
• Michoacán (excluding the city of Morelia)
• Colima (excluding the city of Manzanillo)

“The decision to travel is your choice and you are responsible for your personal safety abroad,” says the travel advisory.

“We take the safety and security of Canadians abroad very seriously and provide credible and timely information in our travel advice to enable you to make well-informed decisions regarding your travel abroad.”