Street markets in Mexico grapple with quarantine

Roving street markets, or Tianguis as they are called in Mexico, are set up in one borough one day, and moved to a different one the following day.

An army of vendors mount them at dawn, sell their wares to hundreds of shoppers during the day, and dismount these iconic images of Mexican markets at night.

With no enforced shutdowns by the government these markets continue to operate.

How will these people who live day-by-day survive through the coronavirus pandemic if more and more people choose to stay home instead of shop, or if they are forced to shut down like it's happening in other countries in the region?

Susana Ruiz Torres, 49, met her husband Joaquin Aguirre, 62, at the Tianguis 26 years ago.

Now her daughter Victoria Aguirre and her two granddaughters and a grandson are part of the family crew that helps her sell vegetables 5 to 6 days a week in at least three different locations of the city.

With the quarantine entering phase 3 the only obvious thing is that kids will still be lending a helping hand with schools closed for the foreseeable future.

Susana's family do not have savings and depend on what they produce on a daily basis in order to go by.

While the first two weeks of quarantine have cut at least 30% of their customers they can still make a living.

Last night the deputy Secretary of Health Hugo Lopez Gatell urged citizens to comply not just with the obligation not to go outside, leaving Susana to ponder exactly how are they supposed to go through without support of the government in case they are finally enforced to go out.

For most people, the new coronavirus causes mild or moderate symptoms, such as fever and cough that clear up in two to three weeks.

For some, especially older adults and people with existing health problems, it can cause more severe illness, including pneumonia and death.

On Sunday the market was an old shadow of its former self, with scattered clients arriving later than expected, few of them wearing face masks and still some elders venturing out to shop for groceries.

Around 400 kiosks were set up Saturday at Union Avenue, 30 percent less than what they are used to seeing.

Each Kiosk employs 2 to 3 people on average and as a whole the street market can normally take 10,000 visitors each day.