According to the World Health Organization (WHO), Mexico is on several “top 5” lists nobody wants to be on. 

On Tuesday, the WHO released its latest COVID-19 Epidemiological Update studying the 28-day period ending on July 21, 2024. Mexico is No. 5 in test positivity rate globally, No. 5 in new ICU admissions and it remains fifth in total number of COVID-related deaths.

The steady increase in cases has prompted health experts in the country to urge the public to resume wearing masks.

The WHO’s report reveals that 31% of the 85 participating countries reported elevated SARS-CoV-2 activity. Elevated activity is defined as anything above a 10% test positivity rate. 

Mexico is fifth on this list after seeing a 37% test positivity rate during the most recent 28-day period. This number trails only the Republic of Moldova (75%), Belgium (67%), Switzerland (40%) and Spain (39.3%).

Mexico was among eight Latin American countries that saw new cases increase by more than 50% during the latest reporting period. 

The WHO also revealed that among the 40 countries consistently reporting new hospitalizations, 21 registered an increase of 20% or greater in hospitalizations during the past 28 days compared to the previous 28-day period. Mexico is eighth on this list as new hospitalizations rose from 243 to 606 patients.

Among the 28 countries consistently reporting new ICU admissions, seven countries showed an increase of 20% or greater in new ICU admissions. Mexico is fifth on that list, too, with an increase greater than 100% as ICU admissions rose from 11 during the May 27-June 23 period to 24 during June 24-July 21.

Mexico also reported 2,152 new COVID-19 cases during the most recent 28-day reporting period, the third-most in the Americas behind only Colombia (2,892) and Canada (2,191). The 2,152 new cases were significantly higher than the 653 new cases reported during the May 27-June 23 period.

Mexico also ranks fifth in the world in total number of COVID-related deaths with 334,958 victims. Only the United States (1,219,487), Brazil (711,380), India (533,570) and Russia (402,756) have seen more COVID-related deaths than Mexico.

With reports from El Financiero and Infobae