On September 19, 2107, Mexico City and neighboring states were rocked by a 7.1-magnitude earthquake that inflicted grave damage, including the loss of life and collapsed structures.  As a result, through an announcement published in the Official Gazette of the Federation on September 20, 2017, the Mexican government declared:

• September 19 and 20 will be deemed non-working days for proceedings before the Mexican Institute of Social Security (“IMSS,” which stands for “Instituto Mexicano del Seguro Social”) in Mexico City and the states of Guerrero, Hidalgo, Mexico, Morelos, Puebla, Tlaxcala and Veracruz. 

• September 21 and 22 shall also be deemed non-working days for the IMSS, but only as to its local offices in Zacatepec, Morelos e Izucar of Matamoros and Puebla.

With this measure, the government aims to allow the authorities to address any urgent situation taking place at those locations, as well as to inspect the facilities.

Two important notes concerning this announcement: First, the above-referenced non-working days will not be included in any IMSS-related calculations to determine timeframes or deadlines.  Second, during these non-working days, IMSS proceedings and transactions will be deemed suspended, including, but not limited to: inquiries (known as “práctica de actuaciones”); transactions (“trámites”); requirements (“requerimientos”); notifications (“notificaciones”); summons (“citatorios”); legal challenges (“medios de impugnación”); and requests for information or documents (“solicitudes de informes o documentos”).  

We will continue to monitor this situation and report on any pertinent developments.