More than 18,000 confirmed coronavirus cases were added to Mexico’s accumulated tally on Thursday, while an additional 993 COVID-19 deaths were reported.
The federal Health Ministry reported 18,138 cases, lifting the pandemic total to almost 3.39 million. The official death toll stands at 261,496 but the real number of fatalities is undoubtedly much higher.
There are currently 110,846 estimated active cases across Mexico, a 3% increase compared to Wednesday.
Almost 85.4 million vaccine doses have been administered, according to the most recent data. The Health Ministry said Wednesday that 65% of the adult population has had at least one shot.
More than 90% of adults in Mexico City have had at least one jab while 80-89% of the 18+ population of Querétaro, Quintana Roo, Sinaloa, Baja California and Baja California Sur are vaccinated.
One state where the vaccination rate is below the national average is Oaxaca, which is currently facing a significant coronavirus outbreak. There are more than 2,000 active cases in the southern state after health authorities reported 600 new cases on Thursday, 613 on Wednesday and 504 on Tuesday.
The Wednesday tally included cases detected in more than 100 municipalities. Oaxaca City, Tuxtepec, Santa María Atzompa, Santa Lucía del Camino, Ciudad Ixtepec and Santa Cruz Xoxocotlán recorded the highest numbers.
Almost 60% of general care hospital beds in COVID-19 wards in Oaxaca are currently occupied while 55% of those with ventilators are taken, according to federal data. However, the occupancy rate for general care hospital beds is 100% in at least 12 Oaxaca hospitals.
According to media reports on Wednesday, many of the state’s hospitals are in danger of running out of oxygen because their supplier has not been paid. A healthcare workers’ representative in Juchitán said the supplier gave notice Wednesday that it was withdrawing its services.
However, a health official was confident that existing supplies would be sufficient while the state health services organization processed payment to the supplier.
The state has recorded almost 69,000 confirmed cases during the pandemic, the 15th highest total among Mexico’s 32 states, and 4,487 COVID-19 deaths, the 21st highest total.
Mexico City ranks first in both categories with more than 900,000 confirmed cases and 48,659 officially recorded fatalities.
With reports from El Universal and Proceso
