Friday, February 20, 2026

Mexico City remains high-risk orange; some areas to be designated red

High-risk “orange light” coronavirus restrictions will remain in place in Mexico City next week, Mayor Claudia Sheinbaum said Friday.

It will be the third consecutive week that “orange light” restrictions that allow most businesses to operate at a reduced capacity will apply in the capital, Mexico’s coronavirus epicenter.

“The city remains orange with the already established activities … and health rules,” Sheinbaum told a press conference.

However, “red light” maximum risk restrictions will apply in some neighborhoods with high numbers of active coronavirus cases, said José Merino, head of the government’s Digital Agency for Public Innovation.

“While the city remains orange, we’ve identified neighborhoods where there is a high concentration of cases. There are just over 20 neighborhoods where 20% of patients with Covid-19 are amassed,” he said.

Merino said that the neighborhoods where stricter “red light” restrictions will apply will be announced on Sundays and take effect the following Wednesday.

Speaking about the broader coronavirus situation in Mexico City, Sehinbaum said that the capital is “doing well in general” and that the number of people in the hospital has declined.

There are currently 844 coronavirus patients in intensive care on ventilators and 1,645 in general care hospital beds, Sheinbaum said.

Mexico City has recorded 55,344 confirmed Covid-19 cases since the beginning of the pandemic, of which 4,271 are currently active. The capital has the highest death toll in the country, having recorded 7,450 confirmed fatalities as of Thursday.

The sprawling, densely populated eastern borough of Iztapalapa has recorded the highest number of confirmed Covid-19 cases in Mexico City followed by Gustavo A. Madero in the north.

Source: El Financiero (sp), Reforma (sp) 

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