The number of confirmed coronavirus cases in Mexico surged by 1,425 on Thursday, taking the total to 19,224, while 127 new fatalities lifted the death toll to 1,859.
The increase in cases was the biggest single-day jump since Covid-19 was first detected in Mexico at the end of February. The daily death toll was the fifth highest since the first coronavirus-related death was reported on March 18.
In the 10 days since the government declared the commencement of phase three of the coronavirus pandemic, a total of 10,452 new Covid-19 cases, an average of 1,045 per day, and 1,147 deaths, an average of almost 115 per day, were added to Mexico’s tally, according to federal Health Ministry data.
If those rates continue, Mexico will record its 20,000th confirmed Covid-19 case today and its 2,000th coronavirus-related death tomorrow.
On a brighter note, about half of all the people in Mexico confirmed to have the coronavirus have now fully recovered, and a decline in new cases might be seen next week.
Deputy Health Minister Hugo López-Gatell told the president’s press conference Friday morning that the pandemic should reach the peak number of cases May 6, provided citizens continue to isolate themselves.
“There is one week left before we get to the peak, after which [the numbers] will begin to decline but only if we stay in our homes, otherwise this prediction will not come true.”
According to data from the Johns Hopkins Coronavirus Resource Center, Mexico had the 23rd highest number of accumulated cases in the world and the 15th highest death toll as of Friday morning. It ranks fourth for cases among Latin American countries behind Brazil, Peru and Ecuador and second for deaths behind Brazil.
More than a quarter of the confirmed cases are in Mexico City, where 5,209 people have now tested positive for Covid-19. The capital also has the highest number of active cases with 1,660.
Mexico City Mayor Claudia Sheinbaum and her counterparts in the capital’s 16 boroughs appeared in a video posted to social media on Thursday in which they renewed the call for residents to stay in their homes to limit the spread of Covid-19.
“Governments have a great responsibility but citizens do as well. We all have to be responsible; stay at home, together we will overcome this,” Sheinbaum said.
She warned that if large numbers of residents don’t follow social distancing recommendations, hospitals will likely face a significant influx of patients requiring respiratory support.
“Today we have 809 people intubated and we’re preparing to have 2,000 people in intensive care,” Sheinbaum said.
México state has the second highest number of confirmed cases with 3,130, many of which were detected in municipalities that are part of the greater metropolitan area of Mexico City.
Baja California is the third most affected state with 1,557 accumulated cases followed by Tabasco, Sinaloa and Quintana Roo, where 984, 856 and 788 people, respectively, have tested positive for Covid-19.
México state also has the second largest active coronavirus outbreak with 956 cases. The Gulf coast state of Tabasco has 317 active cases, its neighbor Veracruz has 241, Baja California has 234 and Quintana Roo has 209. No other state has more than 200 active cases, of which there are 5,912 across the country.
At the municipal level, Mexico City’s most populated borough, Iztapalapa, has the highest number of active cases followed by the northern borough of Gustavo A. Madero; Centro (Villahermosa), Tabasco; Nezahualcóyotl, México state; and Benito Juárez (Cancún), Quintana Roo.
Mexico City also leads the country for coronavirus-related deaths with 409 as of Thursday. Baja California is second with 222 fatalities followed by México state, Sinaloa, Tabasco and Quintana Roo, all of which have recorded more than 100 deaths.
Tijuana, with 158 coronavirus-related fatalities, and Culiacán, with 101, are the only municipalities with triple-figure death tolls.
Among the 1,859 people who have lost their lives to Covid-19, 186 died in their homes, according to Health Ministry data.
The fatality rate for the disease in Mexico has crept up this week from 9.2 per 100 cases on Monday to 9.7 on Thursday. The global rate is about 7.
However, as many Covid-19 cases both here and around the world go undetected, the real fatality rate is certain to be much lower.
Source: Milenio (sp)
