TUCSON — The mayor of the Mexican beach resort city of Puerto Peñasco ordered Thursday the closure of its beaches, popular with Arizona and U.S. visitors, in response to recommendations and guidelines set by the Sonora state government to fight the spread of the new coronavirus.

The decision, though almost inevitable, was not taken lightly, Mayor Kino Munro said in a written statement.

It's likely to result in hundreds of thousands, possibly millions, of dollars in lost revenue for the state and local governments as well as the many local businesses that are dependent on tourism.

How long the beaches will stay closed is undermined, according to the city. It depends largely on the state government's strategy to contain the spread of COVID-19, and when it determines such actions are no longer needed.

"What I ask the state government is that, in the same way they instructed us verbally to close (the beaches), they also send us the manpower to enforce that recommendation along the 110 kilometers (68 miles) of beach we have," Munro said.

Videos and photos distributed by the city showed deserted beaches against a backdrop of high-rise resorts, with municipal police officers donning face masks cleared the areas and installed metal barriers to block beach access.

Peñasco, also known as Rocky Point north of the U.S.-Mexico border, is expected to receive around 150,000 visitors this time of year for spring break and the upcoming Holy Week and Easter holidays. Since the beach is the main attraction, Murno said about 6,500 hotel reservations could be impacted by the closures.

More than 2 million people visit Peñasco each year, and nearly 70% come from Arizona and the U.S., according to the city's Convention and Visitors Bureau.

Hector Vazquez del Mercado, the bureau's president, said he expected a "do not travel" advisory issued Thursday by the U.S. State Department to keep most Americans away.

"It's definitely going to hit us hard right now, but it would hit us even worse if we don't take preventive measures," he said.

Vazquez del Mercado said they will work with local, state and federal governments in Mexico to figure out how to help businesses that will undoubtedly struggle with the beaches closed.

He urged people who had planned to visit Peñasco in the coming weeks to delay, rather than to cancel, their visits to the city.

"Since this isn't the time to travel because of health concerns, and you had planned to come, don't come in April, come instead in May or June ... or come in October," he said.

The mayor's decision to close the beaches in Puerto Peñasco follows a similar decision by mayors of other municipalities in Sonora to close down their beaches, including popular sites such as San Carlos and Bahia de Kino.

But Mexican media reports showed people were defying those orders and showing up to the beach in San Carlos anyway.

Sonora Gov. Claudia Pavlovich issued a series of preventive guidelines on Monday, after the state reported its first positive case of COVID-19. Since then, a second person in the state tested positive. Both cases are in the capital city of Hermosillo.

As part of the guidelines, the state ordered all schools closed, as well as non-essential businesses such as gyms and bars. State officials also canceled large gatherings and asked residents to avoid congregating in groups larger than 10 people.

Those last two guidelines are the basis for the recommendation, and eventual decision, to the close down beaches statewide.

Have any news tips or story ideas about the U.S.-Mexico border? Reach the reporter at rafael.carranza@arizonarepublic.com, or follow him on Twitter at @RafaelCarranza.

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