Covid-19 case numbers continue rising; 2,437 more recorded on Friday

After 54 days of nationwide social distancing, the number of confirmed cases of Covid-19 has risen to 45,032 after 2,437 new cases were recorded between Thursday and Friday.

There are 29,028 suspected cases and the number of confirmed deaths is now 4,767, up 290 since Thursday, a death toll that is now higher than China’s, where the virus originated last fall.

José Luis Alomía, Director of Epidemiology at the Ministry of Health, reported Friday that there were 10,238 active cases, which takes in people who have shown coronavirus symptoms in the last 14 days.

Friday’s Covid-19 press briefing was told that 128,253 coronavirus tests have been carried out in the public health system. Of those, 70,809 were conducted in government laboratories and 50,775, in hospitals. He added that 101,900 test kits have been distributed to the national network of laboratories and 300,000 additional tests have been ordered.

In addition, Alomía revealed that private laboratories have registered 16,450 positive coronavirus test results that have yet to be added to national totals because of insufficient data on individual patients, whether they are symptomatic or not, and whether they may already have been included in official statistics.

He stated that the government is planning to roll out a website next week where private labs can provide further information on positive-testing patients.

Alomía also noted that Baja California, Mexico City and the state of México remain hotspots for the disease, with each of the three states registering upwards of 3,000 cases. Tabasco follows with 2,177 cases and Sinaloa with 1,814.

Yesterday marked the second day that Mexico saw more than 2,400 new cases within 24 hours.

The government says 36% of hospital beds for those with severe acute respiratory symptoms are occupied, and 70% of beds with ventilators are still available nationwide, although that number drops to 41% in Sinaloa and 37% in Mexico City.

Source: Jornada (sp)