Mexico City will continue at the orange level of the federal government’s coronavirus “stoplight” map next week, meaning that risk for the spread of the pandemic is still high.

Mayor Claudia Sheinbaum reported a slight reduction in hospitalization after 60 beds were freed in the last two days. “The reduction continues, although the speed of reduction had a decrease; in the previous week more beds were vacated,” Sheinbaum stated, adding that the nation’s capital has 60,474 confirmed cases of Covid-19. The most affected municipalities are Iztapalapa with 10,105 cases, Gustavo A. Madero with 7,565, and Tlalpan with 4,751.

As of Monday wholesalers in the city’s historic center will be permitted to operate between 6 a.m. and noon, and other businesses from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., she announced, with businesses alternating days based on whether their street address is an odd or even number.  

Eduardo Clark, Director of Mexico City’s Office of Technology and Intelligence, said that if the downward trend in hospitalization continues, religious services could again be permitted as soon as July 26. Services would be limited to 30 minutes, and churches would only operate at 30% capacity with sanitary protocols firmly in place. Libraries may also be allowed to reopen, he said. 

Mayor Sheinbaum also announced she will be donating her Christmas bonus, which is equivalent to two months’ pay, to help fight the spread of the coronavirus by using the money to pay the salaries of doctors. 

The donation is in addition to the two months of salary she donated to the coronavirus effort in April, she said, a measure replicated by other government officials which led to the raising of nearly 50 million pesos, around US $2.2 million. 

Source: Reforma (sp), Excélsior (sp), Milenio (sp)