Companies involved in the construction of the Maya Train and the Dos Bocas refinery will continue operating

The federal government established that companies that produce steel, cement, and glass , as well as technology and information services, are now essential activities; therefore, if their activities come to a halt during the COVID-19 pandemic , it would cause irreversible damages.

Through a decree published on the Official Gazette , the federal government labeled e-commerce platforms and courier services as essential. This means all these companies are allowed to operate amid the health emergency , as long as they follow certain rules established by the Health Ministry.

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In regards to steel, cement, and glass companies that have contracts with the government in the construction of major projects such as the Maya Train , the Dos Bocas refinery , the Santa Lucía airport , and the Trans-isthmian railroad , they will continue to operate during the coronavirus pandemic but only to supply the federal government.

Moreover, the companies that signed contracts with Pemex and the CFE , and whose services are considered as essential, will continue to operate.

The document explains that suppliers must maintain a minimum activity and must inform the Finance Ministry about the number of workers they need to continue supplying the government. Moreover, these companies are also compelled to fulfill the health measures implemented by Mexican authorities amid the health emergency sparked by COVID-19.

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Hours later, President Andrés Manuel López Obrador instructed his cabinet members to be prepared for when Mexico enters the third stage of its contingency plan , so that they don't halt the construction of large projects and once the contagion curve starts to decrease, they create more jobs .

During a private meeting that lasted over 2 hours, López Obrador and his cabinet evaluated projects such as the Maya Train, the Santa Lucía airport, and the Dos Bocas refinery, among other projects.

When he left the meeting, Rogelio Jiménez Pons , the official in charge of the Maya Train, said the government officials went through programs to reactive the economy and create more jobs. According to Pons, the Maya Train will create 80,000 jobs.

Rabindranath Salazar

, the head of the Well-being Bank, said they went through several mechanisms aimed at creating new jobs .

Manuel Bartlett,

the head of the CFE , said that the electricity company will work to create 1 million jobs.

Moreover, during his daily update on COVID-19, Dr. López-Gatell was questioned about the decision to allow these companies to operate:

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