Authorities in Mexico City and Tamaulipas have announced that face masks are no longer required in outdoor public spaces due to the diminished COVID-19 risk.
Mexico City Mayor Claudia Sheinbaum said in a video message Friday that the local Health Ministry had advised that the coronavirus risk in the capital is currently “very low.”
“This allows us to remove face masks outside,” she said, adding that her government continues to recommend their use inside.
In Tamaulipas, the state Health Ministry announced Wednesday that face masks would be optional in outdoor public spaces starting Friday. The ministry said on social media that the decision was taken due to a reduction in coronavirus cases numbers, hospitalizations and deaths in Tamaulipas.
Authorities in Coahuila, Nuevo León and Quintana Roo have already dropped mask mandates for outdoor areas.
According to COVID-19 data published by the federal Health Ministry on Thursday, there are just under 2,200 active cases in Mexico City and only 139 in Tamaulipas.
There are an estimated 9,420 active cases across the country. That figure was above 300,000 at the peak of the fourth omicron-fueled wave in January.
A total of 150,906 new cases were reported in March for a daily average of 4,868. That’s a 76% decline compared to the daily average of 20,216 cases in February and an 84% reduction compared to January, the worst month of the pandemic for case numbers.
COVID-19 deaths also declined in March, but not as significantly. An additional 4,867 fatalities were reported last month for a daily average of 157. That’s a 64% drop compared to the daily average of 431 in February and a 27% reduction compared to January.
Mexico’s accumulated case tally increased to just under 5.66 million on Thursday, while the official death toll rose to 323,016, the fifth highest total in the world.
More than 85.6 million Mexicans are vaccinated against COVID-19 and 93% of that number are fully vaccinated, the Health Ministry said Thursday. Over 36.3 million adults have had booster shots.
Mexico has not offered shots to minors aged under 15 with the exception of those aged 12 and older with an existing health condition that makes them vulnerable to serious illness.
A federal court ruled in February that children as young as five have the right to be vaccinated, and health regulator Cofepris has approved the use of the Pfizer vaccine for those aged five to 11.
However, the government has not indicated it will offer shots to all children between those ages, meaning that parents have to go to court – or another country – to access vaccines for their young sons and daughters.
Mexico News Daily
