Is Mexico the new Dubai? Dua Lipa and Chloe Sims are among celebrities flocking to the country

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Celebrities and influencers have been flocking to Mexico‘s bars and beaches as it establishes itself as the latest Covid getaway destination.

The country, which is not yet on the UK’s travel red-list, appears to be the new destination of choice for global jet-setters and could rocket in popularity after travel from influencer magnet Dubai was banned on Friday.

Popstar Dua Lipa, ‘The Only Way is Essex’ star Chloe Simms and model Lottie Moss are among those that have been pictured in the Central American country in recent weeks.

Travel abroad is now banned from the UK without a legally permitted reason, Home Secretary Priti Patel announced on Wednesday, as she criticised influencers for ‘showing off in sunny parts of the world’.

Earlier this month, Dua Lipa shared pictures to her 60 million Instagram followers of her with her boyfriend Anwar Hadid – who is also model Gigi Hadid’s brother – and a group of friends together in Mexico.

In one series of pictures, the group were seen crowded together on a rooftop overlooking a jungle below, and while the post didn’t have a location tagged, a number of news outlets – including Harpers Bazaar – reported that they were in the country.

The move to ban travel to and from Dubai sparked an influencer exodus this week – although two defiant fitness bloggers boasted on Instagram about ‘testing their luck’ and getting the ‘last flight out’ to the emirate.

While not on the UK’s travel red-list, Mexico has been one of world’s counties hardest hit by the coronavirus, with Friday seeing 1,434 newly confirmed COVID-19 deaths Friday, bringing its total for the pandemic to 156,579. 

The country also recorded 18,670 newly confirmed coronavirus infections, bringing the total to 1.84 million, although testing has been limited – as has its vaccination rollout. 

Travelling abroad has been banned from the UK unless an individual has been legally permitted to do so, with the Government explicitly saying that ‘travel abroad for holidays and other leisure purposes’ is illegal.

In addition, people coming from countries on the UK’s ‘red-list’ have been banned from entry, except for British and Irish nationals who are required to self-isolate in government-provided accommodation  for 10 days upon their return.

From 13:00 on Friday, the United Arab Emirates was added to the list, meaning anyone in Dubai would have to quarantine on their return to the UK, with Home Secretary Priti Patel criticised those who have been holidaying in the sun when they have been told to stay at home.

But this hasn’t stopped celebrities from travelling elsewhere, leading to hostile messages on Instagram and Twitter pages accusing them of recklessly spreading the virus and putting the NHS under increasing strain.

Many claim they jetted off for ‘unavoidable work trips’ – with some even going so far as to suggest that their social media posts should make them ‘key workers’.  

TOWIE stars Chloe Sims and Frankie Essex have both been pictured in Mexico this weekend, telling to her followers she had jetted to Mexico but because she had been presented with a work trip she ‘couldn’t turn down’.

Chloe took to Instagram and shared a series of bikini photos of herself after landing in celebrity hot spot Tulum. 

Insisting the trip was for work she wrote, in all-caps: ‘I HAVE ARRIVED IN MEXICO.. SO I WANTED TO GET AHEAD OF ANY NEGATIVE STORIES TO MAKE IT CLEAR, THIS IS FIRST & FOREMOST A WORK RELATED TRIP.

‘SOME OPPORTUNITIES HAVE PRESENTED THEMSELVES, THAT I FELT I COULD NOT TURN DOWN & SO AFTER FULLY CONSIDERING THE LATEST GOVERNMENT GUIDELINES. I DECIDED TO TRAVEL.’ 

Chloe added she would be quarantining at her home in Essex as soon as she returns from the trip.  

She said: ‘OBVIOUSLY I WILL BE QUARANTINING IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE LEGAL REQUIREMENTS UPON MY RETURN.’

Tulum is popular with stars including Drew Barrymore and Kristin Cavallari with Love Island’s Eyal Booker and girlfriend Delilah Belle Hamlin also recently visiting the city.

Lottie Moss, the younger sister of supermodel Kate Moss, has also been pictured in Mexico while telling her followers that it’s for a work trip.

The 23-year-old was pictured enjoying a boat party on a yacht earlier this month on January 21, drinking and dancing with friends. A source close to Lottie told MailOnline she’s in Mexico for work reasons.

She later wrote on her Instagram account: ‘Cats out the bag I guess – been working on something really fun for work out here can’t wait for you guys too see!’

Former professional football player Jermaine Pennant also jetted off to Mexico after spending New Year’s in Dubai amid the coronavirus crisis.

Pennant, 38, has taken to Instagram in recent weeks to give fans a glimpse into his travels in both countries after he spent Christmas Day with his family in Nottingham.

While he hasn’t specified the reason for his trips abroad, Jermaine shared pictures of himself on the beach and at a golf course while in Mexico.

On Friday, Jermaine celebrated his birthday as he topped up his tan while at the beach and simply told his followers: ‘A sunny January is the way forward.’

The next day he posed for snaps while enjoying an outing at Taboo Tulum, a restaurant in Mexico. 

American Sam Cushing, a gay influencer, is another to have faced a backlash after he travelled to Mexico ahead of New Year’s Eve. He later issued an apology to his 500,000 followers on January 13.

‘After much introspection, it feels too strange to move forward without acknowledging recent comments,’ Cushing wrote in the post, which was screenshotted and shared widely on social media, according to Pink News.

‘To those who were upset – I hear you, I really do. I apologise, and take full accountability. I’ll continue to take matters seriously, and promote mitigation measures as I always have (i.e. sanitation, masks, testing).

A number of gay influencers have been ‘exposed’ by an Instagram account by the name of GaysOverCovid, which has been sharing information about influencers breaking coronavirus rules by partying and travelling abroad.

The LA Times also reported that a group of top gym-going influencers from Los Angeles also travelled to Tulum, posting pictures of themselves working out at the beach resort.

Meanwhile, Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador posted a video of himself walking slowly through his offices Friday and talking for about 13 minutes straight, saying he is recovering from COVID-19.

Lopez Obrador has not been holding his famous, hours-long daily press conferences for the first time since he took office on Dec. 1, 2018, and he evidently misses the opportunity to talk.

The president, who has been in isolation since testing positive for the coronavirus over the weekend, said: ‘The doctors tell me I am getting through the critical stage. I am doing well.’

He has been receiving treatment at his apartment in the colonial-era National Palace, where he also has offices.

Lopez Obrador said that Mexico will import the AstraZeneca vaccine from India and said that the government expects China’s CanSino vaccine to submit test results soon.

Along with Russia’s Sputnik vaccine, he said, Mexico expects to have 6 million doses of various vaccines by the end of February and 12 million in March.

He said that could allow all elderly people in Mexico to get at least one shot. So far, Mexico has been using only the Pfizer vaccine and has been administering second doses as scheduled.

However, Mexico has only about 760,000 Pfizer doses, about half the amount it needs just to vaccinate front-line health personnel.

The country reported 1,434 newly confirmed COVID-19 deaths Friday, bringing its total for the pandemic to 156,579. However, Mexico has an extremely low rate of testing, and estimates of excess deaths suggest the real toll to date is over 195,000.

The country also recorded 18,670 newly confirmed coronavirus infections, bringing the total to 1.84 million.

The recent surge in cases lost Mexico its only state that was considered in the low risk category, with the federal Health Department revealing that Campeche was once again in the moderate risk category.

The Gulf coast state had previously scheduled a reopening of schools because it was at the lowest risk category, with low levels of infection and hospitalizations. It was unclear whether its change in status would have any effect on the school plans.

Amid mounting public anger, Priti Patel criticised those who have been holidaying in the sun when they have been told to stay at home. 

She said going on holiday was ‘not an exemption’ as she unveiled a strict borders clampdown to slow the spread of the virus, telling the Commons: ‘People should simply not be travelling. 

‘We see plenty of influencers showing off where they are – mainly sunny places.’

As the criticism intensifies, members of the public appear to be taking umbrage with their tone deaf posts from Dubai – now dubbed ‘Covid Cosablanca.’ 

Hostile messages on Instagram and Twitter pages are accusing them of recklessly spreading the virus and putting the NHS under increasing strain. 

Many claim they jetted off for ‘unavoidable work trips’ – with some even going so far as to suggest that their social media posts should make them ‘key workers’. 

Laura Anderson, who appeared on Love Island in 2018, moaned about how ‘hard it was to be an influencer’ after she was met with a backlash about her Dubai trip, before claiming she went as a ‘coping mechanism’ to deal with Covid.