Despite the fact that the municipality of Huejutla de Reyes, Hidalgo, is No. 6 in the state for coronavirus deaths, the municipality’s director of regulations, Juventino Molinos Cerecedo, says the virus is “pure bullshit” and encouraged residents to go out and “have fun.” 

Molinos made the expletive-laden comments in a short video posted to social media on Wednesday where he introduces himself as “Doctor Juventino,” filming himself while driving with a mask around his neck.

As of Thursday morning, the video had been viewed more than 14,000 times. Molinos removed the footage from his Facebook page later on Wednesday but his comments had already gone viral.

Some were calling for Molinos to be fired while others viewed the pandemic as a government invention. 

Molinos made the comments despite the fact that 30 people in the municipality have died from the disease and 237 confirmed cases have been diagnosed.

Among the dead is Juan José Redondo Márquez, leader of a bar owners’ association and a Covid-denier who passed away in June of respiratory failure caused by Covid-19.

Up until the day before his death, Redondo had assured fellow bar owners that the disease did not exist and pressured municipal authorities, including Molinos, to allow the reopening of bars and cantinas.

Media reports say that when his condition worsened, family members called the Red Cross for help, but Redondo refused to be transported to the hospital via ambulance in a capsule that protects paramedics from coronavirus. The ambulance left and Redondo died shortly after.

As of Wednesday, Hidalgo had 5,035 confirmed cases of the coronavirus and had seen 822 deaths.

Source: La Jornada (sp), Criterio Hidalgo (sp)