New coronavirus cases increased 13% in Baja California Sur (BCS) last week due to increased mobility, according to Health Minister Víctor George Flores.

There are currently 742 active cases in the state, according to BCS authorities, a figure that accounts for about 8% of the 9,359 cases detected since the start of the pandemic.

Flores attributed the uptick in case numbers last week to the reopening of beaches and reactivation of tourism and recreational activities.

“We knew that we were going to have an increase and that’s why we must proceed with caution,” he told a virtual press conference.

The coronavirus risk level according to the state’s health alert system will remain at level 4 “very high” this week, Flores said.

The health minister said that despite the increase in case numbers, the number of coronavirus patients in the hospital remains stable. Flores also said that while authorities are not implementing stricter restrictions, people need to be more cautious as they go about their daily lives during the so-called new normal.

Increases in new case numbers of up to 20% could be seen in the coming weeks if mobility levels continue to rise, he added.

One positive for BCS is that its case fatality rate is well below the national rate. Based on confirmed coronavirus cases and Covid-19 deaths – currently 484 – the fatality rate in the state is 5.2 per 100 cases.

The national fatality rate is more than twice as high at 10.5 per 100 cases. That figure is based on 697,663 confirmed cases and an official Covid-19 death toll of 73,493.

However, the real number of coronavirus cases and deaths is widely believed to be much higher due to Mexico’s low testing rate.

Source: El Universal (sp)