COVID-19 Updates for Baja California
-The U.S.-Mexico temporary land border restrictions were extended until at least February 21, 2021. U.S. Citizens and Canadian Citizens have been allowed to cross back north into the U.S. and have had no problems crossing south into Mexico from the U.S.
-Mexico has instated a national “stoplight” system allowing certain regions to begin reopening. The state of Baja California (norte) currently has a “red” light designation with non-essential activities restricted. Restaurants may operate at 30% capacity and retail stores may operate at 25% capacity.
In Baja California Sur, the regions of La Paz, Loreto, Mulegé, and Comondú are in the “orange (critical alert, level 5)” light designation with hotels restaurants, beaches, parks, retail shops, and museums/theaters/movie theaters, operating at 30 percent capacity. The Los Cabos region is rated “orange (very high alert, level 4)” with businesses operating at 40% capacity. Specific rules vary from municipality to municipality. The stoplight designations are being assessed on a weekly basis. We recommend that you call ahead to any business that you plan on visiting to find out about current hours and COVID regulations.
-Some of the California/Baja land borders are operating on reduced hours. The following are the current hours for border crossings:
San Ysidro: open 24 hours
(PedWest is closed but PedEast remains open 24 hours)
Otay Mesa: open 24 hours
Tecate: 5am-2pm daily
Calexico West: open 24 hours
Calexico East: open 6am-2pm
Andrade: open 6am-2pm
-For up-to-date information about COVID-19 in the state of Baja California (norte) please visit the Baja California COVID-19 page. For up-to-date information about COVID-19 in Baja Sur, please visit the BCS COVID-19 website.
-For Emergency Assistance for U.S. citizens in Mexico, call 55-8526-2561 from Mexico or 1-844-528-6611 from the United States. The U.S. Embassy in Mexico has put together a COVID-19 webpage or you can follow them on Facebook for updates.
-You can find the latest updates on our Road Conditions Page. Call the DBTC office at 800-727-2252 for more information about U.S. travelers crossing the border.
New Mexican Auto Insurance Policies Exclusive for Discover Baja Members!
We are excited to announce that Discover Baja has developed new Mexican auto insurance policies that provide the best coverage and rates in the market. We recently updated our insurance program to include increased benefits while also lowering our rates—and these policies are only available for Discover Baja members.
Both of our Mexican insurance partner companies, HDI and CHUBB Seguros, are now offering basic and premium policies for a full 365 days out of the year at prices that used to only be available for 120 days out of the year!
New policy highlights:
- Annual Club Member Policy is good for the full 365 day of the policy period
- No more limits on how many days your vehicle can be in Mexico
- CHUBB offers $1,000,000 combined single limit third party liability coverage
- No worries liability, this is the highest amount of third party liability available
- Fixed Deductibles
- $500 Collision / $1,000 Theft
- US Labor Rates for Repairs made in the USA
- Vandalism & Partial Theft Coverage
- Medical Payments
- $10K per person / $50K per event
- Legal Service, Road Assistance, Medical Evacuation, & Plane Tickets Home
COVID Test Required to Fly Back Into the U.S.
As of January 26, 2021, the U.S. requires all passengers arriving into the U.S. by air to show proof of a negative PCR COVID test (a test for current infection) that was taken within 72 hours of flight departure time. Alternatively, travelers may show proof that they’ve had COVID in the past and recovered (with proof of an antigen test), or that they’ve been fully vaccinated. A COVID test is not required to drive back into the U.S. nor is it required to fly into Tijuana and to cross through CBX to get to the U.S. At this time COVID tests are not required to fly INTO Mexico. For more information, and a list of Baja testing facilities by city, please see our COVID Testing in Baja page.
Vehicle Registration Reminder
A reminder to make sure you travel with the current registration for each of vehicle and towed unit you are taking into Mexico. If the vehicle or unit is not yours, you should take the registration along with a notarized letter from the owner that gives you permission to have the unit in Mexico.
Photo Courtesy Lourdes Loza Romero for Zeta Tijuana
New Entrance for the Medical Fast Pass Lane at San Ysidro
Tijuana’s San Ysidro border crossing has a new entrance for the medical fast pass lane. The lane is now accessed at the north end of Paseo de los Héroes in the far left lane. Stay to the left of the yellow barriers in the lane with the green sign that says “Carril Exclusivo USA Servicios Medicos/Negocios.” There will be a white booth with an official who will verify your Fast Pass. The relocation of the lane was due to the upcoming opening of eight new northbound lanes on the left side of the San Ysidro border crossing. Authorities took advantage of the new infrastructure to obtain easier access for Fast Pass Lane users.
Masks Required in BCS and Tijuana
Until further notice, the use of face masks is mandatory in the state of Baja California Sur anywhere in public. Those who do not comply will face 36-hour jail time and a $8,600 peso fine (U.S. $430). The city of Tijuana has also been ticketing people not wearing face masks. Fines are between $430-1,300 pesos (U.S. $21-$65).
CBX Now A Direct Booking Option When Flying with Volaris
The Mexican airline Volaris now offers the option to choose Cross Border Xpress (CBX) as a direct destination when booking flights. This means that the ticket for using the CBX pedestrian border crossing is included in your airplane ticket and does not need to be purchased separately, allowing travelers using the Tijuana airport from San Diego to simplify their purchase process. If you don’t have it already, you can download the CBX app to make traveling and using CBX even easier.
New Book Highlights the Women of the Mexican Revolution
A new anthology, “Revolutionary Women of Texas and Mexico: Portraits of Soldaderas, Saints, and Subversives,” by Kathy Sosa, Ellen Riojas Clark, and Jennifer Speed, celebrates the women of early Texas and Mexico who refused to walk a traditional path. There are 18 portraits in the book, and at the heart of the portraits are the women of the Mexican Revolution (1910–1920)―like the soldaderas who shadowed the Mexican armies, tasked with caring for and treating the wounded troops. Filling in the gaps are iconic godmothers like the Virgin of Guadalupe and La Malinche, whose stories are seamlessly woven into the collective history of Texas and Mexico. Portraits of artists Frida Kahlo and Nahui Olin and activists Emma Tenayuca and Genoveva Morales take readers from post-revolutionary Mexico into the present. Each portrait includes a biography, an original pen-and-ink illustration, and a historical or literary piece by a contemporary writer who was inspired by their subject’s legacy. You can purchase the book on Amazon.