Description
The central research question posed was “what have been the economic, public health, and social impacts of the Covid-19 crisis in the Cali- Baja region?”
The Covid-19 pandemic has impacted several communities around the world, and economic and health consequences have also exacerbated existing issues. In Cali Baja, the nature of having a population dependent upon cross-border travel and collaboration has resulted in unique ramifications for businesses, governments, and individuals. Understanding the ways in which this pandemic has, and continues to, spread as well as how it disproportionately affects specific populations provides needed insight for governmental responses for the inevitability of another pandemic or crisis.
Despite the closure of nonessential travel, the patterns of epidemiology continued roughly parallel on both sides of the border. About 100,000 essential travelers crossed daily from Mexico to supply labor to American companies, supporting the U.S. economy and its production. Deep socio-cultural connections have also been nurtured as families establish links within both nations. What can be drawn from this report is the identification of the interconnectedness of the Cali Baja community, and the need for binational governance to take place when crises such as this occur. In interviews with local stakeholders many recommendations were presented. These include the need for:
- Adopting a binational perspective in government responses
- Promoting cross border collaborations
- Advancing border processes and technology
- Redefining the border narrative more generally
Included in
The Covid-19 Crisis in the Cali-Baja Region
The central research question posed was “what have been the economic, public health, and social impacts of the Covid-19 crisis in the Cali- Baja region?”
The Covid-19 pandemic has impacted several communities around the world, and economic and health consequences have also exacerbated existing issues. In Cali Baja, the nature of having a population dependent upon cross-border travel and collaboration has resulted in unique ramifications for businesses, governments, and individuals. Understanding the ways in which this pandemic has, and continues to, spread as well as how it disproportionately affects specific populations provides needed insight for governmental responses for the inevitability of another pandemic or crisis.
Despite the closure of nonessential travel, the patterns of epidemiology continued roughly parallel on both sides of the border. About 100,000 essential travelers crossed daily from Mexico to supply labor to American companies, supporting the U.S. economy and its production. Deep socio-cultural connections have also been nurtured as families establish links within both nations. What can be drawn from this report is the identification of the interconnectedness of the Cali Baja community, and the need for binational governance to take place when crises such as this occur. In interviews with local stakeholders many recommendations were presented. These include the need for:
- Adopting a binational perspective in government responses
- Promoting cross border collaborations
- Advancing border processes and technology
- Redefining the border narrative more generally