Mexico surpassed Italy in the number of coronavirus deaths, and has become the world’s fourth-deadliest nation.
Over the last two weeks, total deaths in Mexico also overtook Spain and France, as Latin America has increasingly become a hotspot for the pandemic.
Mexico’s President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador has prioritized reactivating the economy over enforcing strict lockdowns, a strategy that has drawn criticism that his government hasn’t taken the virus seriously enough. Deputy Health Minister Hugo Lopez-Gatell, who’s leading the country’s response to the virus, has said the disease’s impact in Mexico has been exacerbated by inequality and an overabundance of processed foods, which have contributed to illnesses that make Covid-19 even more deadly.
Mexico City authorities plan to target neighborhoods with a higher number of people infected with Covid-19 as part of efforts to contain the coronavirus outbreak.
It has already implemented a camera surveillance system aimed at monitoring the use of face masks in a number of neighborhoods. Results so far have shown that upper class neighborhoods, such as Condesa and Roma Norte, have the lowest rates of face mask usage compared to other neighborhoods, like Iztapalapa, Xochimilco and Tlahuac. While the use of face masks is a strong recommendation of the city government, it is still not mandatory.
Mexico City Mayor Claudia Sheinbaum stressed that that although some restrictions had been eased, many virus measures would remain in place until at least July 19. She also said that if any member of a household had been diagnosed with COVID-19, all household members must stay home for at least 15 days. The mayor promised economic support for families entering self-isolation if a member of their household has fallen sick with the virus.
Like other Latin American countries, Mexico has vulnerable populations where people must work to meet basic needs and live in crowded quarters, adding to the challenge of enforcing social distancing.
The country posted repeated record rises in Covid-19 cases this week, with health officials reporting more than 7,000 new confirmed cases for the first time Thursday night. Despite that, Lopez-Gatell has said the illness is not spreading in the country as quickly as it was.
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