French
DeutschCOVID-19 pandemic in Mexico
 | Parts of this article (those related to statistics data such as charts, graphs, maps, numbers and dates) need to be updated. (January 2021) |
| COVID-19 pandemic in Mexico | |
|---|---|
(from the top, left to right) New normality in Playa del Carmen People with face masks praying in the Basilica of Zapopan Panitary filter at the entrance to Poza Rica Park in Dolores Hidalgo, Guanajuato closed during the contingency People with face masks in the Mexico City Metro | |
| Disease | COVID-19 |
| Virus strain | SARS-CoV-2 |
| Location | Mexico |
| First outbreak | Wuhan, Hubei, China[1] |
| Index case | Mexico City and Los Mochis[2] |
| Arrival date | February 28, 2020 (4 years, 1 month, 3 weeks and 1 day) |
| Confirmed cases | 7,709,747[3] |
| Recovered | 7,374,572[4] [5] |
Deaths | 335,011[3] |
| Fatality rate | 4.35% |
| Vaccinations | |
| Government website | |
| COVID-19 Versión para móviles | |
The COVID-19 pandemic in Mexico is part of the ongoing worldwide pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2).
The virus was confirmed to have reached Mexico in February 2020. However, the National Council of Science and Technology (CONACYT) reported two cases of COVID-19 in mid-January 2020 in the states of Nayarit and Tabasco, with one case per state.[6]
The Secretariat of Health, through the "Programa Centinela" (Spanish for "Sentinel Program"), estimated in mid-July 2020 that there were more than 2,875,734 cases in Mexico because they were considering the total number of cases confirmed as just a statistical sample.[7]
Background
On January 12, 2020, the World Health Organization (WHO) confirmed that a novel coronavirus was the cause of a respiratory illness in a cluster of people in Wuhan City, Hubei Province, China, which was reported to the World Health Organization (WHO) on December 31, 2019.[8][9]
The case fatality ratio for COVID-19 has been much lower than SARS of 2003,[10][11] but the transmission has been significantly greater, with a significant total death toll.[12][10]
Timeline
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January 2020
On January 22, 2020, the Secretariat of Health issued a statement saying that the novel coronavirus COVID-19 did not present a danger to Mexico. 441 cases had been confirmed in China, Thailand, South Korea, and the United States, and a travel advisory was issued on January 9.[14]
On January 30, 2020, before the declaration of a pandemic by the World Health Organization the Government of Mexico designed a Preparation and Response Plan that was made by the National Committee for Health Safety, a working group led by Secretariat of Health composed by different health entities aiming to act upon the imminent arrival of the pandemic. This group carried out a series of alert measures, rehabilitation and updating of epidemiological regulations based on the International Health Regulations, being the first Latam country that deployed a mathematical model of infectious disease.[15]
February–March 2020
On February 28, Mexico confirmed its first three cases. A 35-year-old man and a 59-year-old man in Mexico City and a 41-year-old man in the northern state of Sinaloa tested positive and were held in isolation at a hospital and a hotel, respectively. They had travelled to Bergamo, Italy, for a week in mid-February.[16][17][2][18] On February 29, a fourth case was detected and confirmed in the city of Torreón, in the state of Coahuila, from a 20-year-old woman who traveled to Italy.[19]
On March 1, a fifth case was announced in Chiapas in a student who had just returned from Italy.[20] On March 6, a sixth case was confirmed in the State of Mexico in a 71-year-old man who had returned from Italy on February 21.[21]
On March 7, a seventh case was also confirmed in Mexico City in a 46-year-old male who had previously had contact with another confirmed case in the United States.[22]
On March 10, an eighth case was reported in Puebla, a 47-year-old German man who had returned from a business trip to Italy.[23] On the same date, 40 members of a dance company in Puebla, returning from a tour in Italy, were quarantined.[24] The Mexican Stock Exchange fell to a record low on March 10 due to fears of the coronavirus and because of falling oil prices. The Bank of Mexico (Banxico) stepped in to prop up the value of the peso, which fell 14% to 22.929 per US dollar.[25]
On March 11, a ninth case was confirmed in the city of Monterrey, Nuevo León. A 57-year-old man, who had recently come back from a trip all across Europe, was placed under quarantine. The man, who has remained anonymous, came back from his trip a week before and had contact with eight other people who have also been placed under quarantine in their houses. The man has been confirmed to reside in the city of San Pedro Garza García.[26]
On March 12, Mexico announced it had a total of 15 confirmed cases, with new cases in Puebla and Durango.[27] A day later, senator Samuel García Sepúlveda accused the federal government of hiding the true number of confirmed cases.[28]
On March 14, Fernando Petersen, the secretary of health of the state of Jalisco, confirmed the first two cases of COVID-19 were detected in Hospital Civil de Guadalajara.[29] Two new cases were confirmed in Nuevo León, and the Secretariat of Public Education (SEP) announced that all sporting and civic events in schools would be canceled.[30] The same day, the Secretariat of Education announced that Easter break, originally planned from April 6 to 17, would be extended from March 20 to April 20 as a preventive measure.[31]
On March 17, 11 new cases were confirmed, raising the national total to 93, with Campeche being the only state with no confirmed cases.[32] Mexico's limited response, including allowing a large concert and the women's soccer championship, as well as a lack of testing, have been criticized. Critics note that president López Obrador does not practice social distancing but continues to greet large crowds, and the borders have not been closed. Of particular concern is the health of thousands of migrants in temporary camps along the border with the United States. The former national commissioner for influenza in Mexico during the 2009 flu pandemic, Alejandro Macías, said the problem is compounded by the fact that Mexico lacks sufficient intensive care unit beds, medical care workers and ventilators.[33]
On March 18, 25 more cases were confirmed raising the total to 118 cases and 314 suspected cases.[34][35] Authorities in Jalisco are concerned about a group of 400 people who recently returned from Vail, Colorado; 40 people have symptoms of COVID-19.[36][37]
On March 22, bars, nightclubs, movie theaters, and museums were closed in Mexico City.[38] Governor Enrique Alfaro Ramírez of Jalisco announced that beginning Thursday, March 26, Jalisco and seven other states in the Bajío and western Mexico will block flights from areas such as California that have a high rate of coronavirus. He also said that they will purchase 25,000 testing kits.[39]
On March 26, Ana Lucía de la Garza Barroso, Director of Epidemiological and Operational Research at the Ministry of Health, reported surprisingly few cases, which raised questions of thoroughness.[40]
On March 30, the total number of cases of COVID-19 surpassed one thousand with 1,094 confirmed cases and 28 reported deaths in the country. In the evening, a national health emergency was declared by Secretary Marcelo Ebrard; all sectors in the country are urged to stop most of their activities.[41]
April–May 2020
On April 10, the total confirmed deaths surpassed two hundred with 233 deaths and 3,844 cases confirmed by Mexican authorities.[42] The government of Baja California closed a plant belonging to the multinational giant Smiths Group after the firm refused to sell ventilators to the Mexican government.[43] On the same day, Mexican consulates in the United States announced the deaths of 181 Mexican nationals due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
On April 13, the number of COVID-19 infections in the country passed 5,000; there were 332 deaths.[44] The Mexican Navy announced it would open ten voluntary self-isolation units to shelter 4,000 COVID-19 patients in Mexico City, Guerrero, Jalisco, Michoacan, Sinaloa, Tamaulipas and Veracruz.[45] Sonora became the first state in the country to declare a curfew.[46]
The number of coronavirus cases surges past 10,000 to 10,544 with 970 deaths on April 21.[47] The death toll surpassed the 1,000 figure on April 23.[48] Tijuana expects its hospitals to run out of space over the weekend.[49]
On May 1, Mexico surpassed 20,000 infections of COVID-19.[50] Mexicanos contra la corrupción (Mexicans against corruption) alleged that Léon Manuel Bartlett, son of Manuel Bartlett the head of the Comisión Federal de Electricidad (CFE), fraudulently tried to sell overpriced ventilators to the Mexican Institute of Social Security (IMSS) in Hidalgo.[51] On May 2, Mexico surpassed 2,000 deaths due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[52] At least forty Mexican and Guatemalan farm workers in Canada contracted coronavirus, that according to the United Food and Commercial Workers.[53]
An article published on The New York Times on May 8 assured that both the federal government and the state government of Mexico City ignored the wave of coronavirus deaths in the capital city. The article criticized the way that President Andrés Manuel López Obrador has been handling the pandemic citing the lack of testing done and the fact that the government has been hiding the real number of COVID-19 cases and deaths. It was also mentioned that despite the fact that Undersecretary Hugo López-Gatell has been saying that "We [Mexico] have flattened the curve" and that only 5% of those infected will show symptoms, and only 5% of those patients with symptoms will go to the hospital, experts say that "their model is wrong" and that "there's a very good consensus on that".[54]
More than 100 health workers (doctors, nurses, orderlies, etc.) are among the 3,573 dead from the virus on May 12.[55]
Between May 9 and May 15, 13,000 new cases were confirmed. The totals were 42,595 cases, 10,057 active cases, and 4,477 deaths on May 15.[56]
On May 22, the number of new cases and deaths reported in 24-hours reached a record high of 2,973 and 420 respectively.[57]
June–July 2020
On June 2, the number of new cases of infection increased by 4.2% (3,891) compared to the day before. Women made up 57% of the 97,326 confirmed cases in the country at the time.[58]
51.2% of all infections (94,958 cases) occurred in the so-called "new normal" from May 18 to June 23 as the period after the country's general quarantine was lifted and states began to resume their economic and social activities in stages. Deaths also grew by 56% (12,654 cases) in these 22 days of "new normal."[59]
On July 1, Mexico became the seventh country with the most COVID-19 deaths surpassing Spain. The same day, Mexico reported 231,770 confirmed cases of COVID-19, with this Mexico became the tenth country with the most infected people with the virus in the world.[60] On July 4, Mexico moved to sixth place in the number of deaths by COVID-19, surpassing France.[61]
On July 8, department stores reopened in Mexico City, but customers were limited to only one hour of shopping, they must wear a face mask, and may not use dressing rooms nor try products such as cosmetics or perfumes.[62]
On July 11, Mexico surpassed the United Kingdom and became the eighth country with the greatest number of confirmed cases in the world.[63] The same day, the ashes of 245 Mexicans that died of COVID-19 in the United States arrived in Mexico City and were given to their respective family.[64] On the same day's daily press conference of Undersecretary Hugo López-Gatell, the Undersecretary said that the Secretariat of Health was putting on hold the presentation of next week's "traffic light" due to the inconsistencies found on the data that certain states were reporting.[65] Yucatán and Quintana Roo, states that were pointed out by López-Gatell for their inconsistencies and delayed reporting, said that they were fully complying with what they were asked to report.[66] On July 12, Mexico became the country with the fourth greatest number of deaths in the world with 35,006, surpassing Italy.[67]
On July 13, 304,435 cases and 35,491 deaths were reported. Undersecretary Hugo López-Gatell, said that there has been a decrease in new cases in the Valley of Mexico as Guanajuato moves into second place with 2,530 active cases. Nuevo León reports an occupancy rate of 82% in hospitals.[68]
On July 22, the Assistant Director of the Pan American Health Organization, Jarbas Barbosa, announced that Mexico was the 38th country to send a letter of intent to buy a COVID-19 vaccine when one is available. Secretary Marcelo Ebrard said there was evidence that a vaccine might be available during 2020, and that the goal is an even distribution of 2 billion doses among the other 77 countries.[69] On July 23, President López Obrador confirmed that he had relatives infected by COVID-19 and even that some have died because of the virus.[70]
On July 30, Undersecretary Hugo López-Gatell threatened governors who deliberately change the traffic light status of their respective states with criminal sanctions. On that matter, Maricela Lecuona González, lawyer of the Secretariat of Health, said that:
When the government of a federal entity ceases to comply with the result of the weekly assessment and omits to call for measures relating to the respective level of risk by the federal health authority, and accordingly instructs its population to take measures related to a lower risk level, after the investigation of the competent authority that so resolves, it is clear that the public servants who take such determination may be civil, administrative and/or criminally liable for that decision.
Several governors rejected the proposal.[71] The French pharmaceutical company Sanofi-Pasteur announced it will soon begin testing a COVID-19 vaccine in Mexico.[72]
On July 31, Mexico moved into third place in the number of fatalities, behind the United States and Brazil, with 46,688 deaths.[73] Mexico occupied sixth place globally in the total number of confirmed cases, with 424,637.[74]
August–December 2020
On August 3, Patricia Ruiz Anchondo, the Mexico City Social Prosecutor, announced that over 3,000 complaints had been filed regarding parties in apartment buildings that violated the official COVID-19 sanitary guidelines. Most of them were in the boroughs of Benito Juárez, Cuauhtémoc, and Iztapalapa.[75]
On August 4, the Secretariat of Health reported that 4,732 people who spoke an indigenous language have been infected with COVID-19 and, of those infected, 798 have died.[76]
Mexico passed the mark of 50,000 deaths on August 6.[77] The United States Department of State classifies travel to Mexico as "high risk."[78]
On August 13, the Carlos Slim Foundation announced they were going to finance the effort of Mexico, Argentina, the University of Oxford and AstraZeneca to produce and distribute the production and distribution of the vaccine against COVID-19 that's being developed by the last two. The distribution of the vaccine will begin during the first semester of 2021 and it will be available through Latin America, with the exception of Brazil.[79] The number of confirmed cases passed 500,000.[80]
On August 16, José Luis Alomía, director of Epidemiology of the Secretariat of Health, announced that for the third week in a row, the total number of newly confirmed cases in a week saw a decline and, for the first time, the number of recovered cases in a week surpassed the number of newly confirmed cases.[81]
On August 18, a group of German virologists arrived to share their knowledge and expertise with the Mexican government.[82]
On August 25, Secretary of Foreign Affairs Marcelo Ebrard announced that Mexico would be participating in clinical trials for the development of a COVID-19 vaccine by the Italian Istituto Nazionale di Malattie Infettive "Lazzaro Spallanzani" (National Institute for Infectious Diseases "Lazzaro Spallanzani"). Additionally, he informed that 2,000 Mexicans will be participating in stage 3 trials of the Gam-COVID-Vac vaccine (trade name Sputnik V) that was developed by Russia.[83]
Over 25 million cases are reported in 188 countries and territories on August 30.[84] Six million of those cases are in the United States,[85] and 595,841 are in Mexico.[86]
On September 3, President AMLO said that the government had a savings exchange of up to MXN $100 billion for vaccines, and he asked the different political parties to donate half of their budgets to help pay for the pandemic. Deputy Mario Delgado (National Regeneration Movement) said that it is an "ethical imperative", he argued that families in Mexico shouldn't be allowed to be in a difficult situation while political parties keep getting more resources.[87] INEGI reported that the July unemployment rate had fallen to 5.4%, for a total workforce of 52.6 million (72.2% men and 39.2% women). 10.8 million workers earn between two and five times the minimum wage, 27.3 million people are engaged in the "informal sector". The greatest increases in employment have been in the commercial sector, while construction, restaurants, transportation, and lodging have fallen behind.[88]
The Catholic Church in Mexico reported on September 4 a total of 77 priests, seven permanent deacons, and four other religious people have died of COVID-19.[89]
On September 6, Rappi said home blood tests for COVID-19 will be available with a fourteen-hour wait for an appointment and a ten-minite wait for results.[90] A large party in which few guests wore facemasks or practiced social distancing, was held in defiance of health regulations at Viñedos Hacienda De Letras in Aguascalientes. The state had 489 deaths and 7,601 confirmed cases as of September 6.[91]
On September 7, researchers at the UNAM reported the development of a saliva-based test that is quicker, easier, and more economical than existing tests. Results of the study have been published in the Journal of Clinical Microbiology.[92]
The Consejo Nacional para Prevenir la Discriminación (National Council to Prevent Discrimination, Conapred) reports that it has had 426 COVID-19-related complaints in five months, mostly the obligation to work while at personal risk.[93] On September 8, Foreign Minister Marcelo Ebrard (SRE) reported that 17,393 Mexicans who were stranded in different countries, mostly in Latin American and Europe, have been repatriated.[94] The SRE also announced that 2,325 Mexicans have died of the virus in the United States, six in Canada, three in Spain, and one each in Colombia, France, and Guatemala.[95]
On September 9, Coahuila passed 1,500 deaths; 13,367 people have been released from hospitals.[96] Arturo Herrera Gutiérrez (SHCP) reports that 440,000 industrial jobs have returned after closings earlier this year.[97] Reuters reports that Landsteiner Scientific pharmacies will receive 32 million doses of the Russian-made vaccine in November.[98] Switzerland removes Mexico from the list of countries with a high rate of infection.[99] Six former Health Secretaries release a report critical of the government's response to the virus, saying that increased testing and mapping of cases could lead to containing infections in six to eight weeks.[100] Pemex became the company with the most COVID-19 deaths in the world, with 313. The state-owned oil company also reported 8,166 cases, of which 78.3% have recuperated. The numbers do not include retired workers or families of workers, whose 583 cases have resulted in 413 deaths.[101]
On September 10, Hugo López-Gatell thanked the former health secretaries for their report on the government's response to the pandemic, but questioned the timing and possible political motives, noting that the report had been produced with input from the Citizens' Movement. He also noted the irony of Dr. José Narro's criticism of a lack of infrastructure.[102]
Mexico passed the mark of 70,000 deaths on September 11.[103]
On September 12, each of the 951 public hospitals that receives COVID-19 patients was given 1,500 cachitos (one-twetieth of a lottery ticket) for the September 15 raffle of the presidential airplane. Each cachito has a value of MXN $500; if a hospital wins, the MXN $20 million (US $1 million) is to be applied to hospital infrastructure, equipment, or medical supplies.[104] The Party of the Democratic Revolution called for an investigation.[105]
On September 15, hospitals in Fresnillo, Durango (ISSSTE); Tepic, Nayarit (IMSS); and Charo, Michoacán (IMSS) each won MXN $20 million in the raffle of the presidential plane.[106]
Federal Deputy Miguel Acundo González (Social Encounter Party) died from COVID-19 on September 16. Thirty-one deputies have tested positive for COVID-19, but most have been asystematic or have had mild cases.[107]
The SRE announced on September 17 that the partial closure of the border with the United States would extend until October 21.[108]
British medical journal The Lancet publishes an article that states the high level of COVID-19 deaths among Mexican health workers is related to poor working conditions. Mexico has reported 1,320 deaths in the sector, compared to 1,077 in the United States, 649 in the United Kingdom, and 634 in Brazil.[109]
It was announced on September 24 that the government has spent MXN $59.2 billion on the coronavirus, $35 billion of which was by the federal government and the rest by the states. The greatest expenses were in March as the government bought equipment and supplies and began hiring more personnel.[110]
Joel Molina Ramírez, a senator (.png){kind=small}
MORENA) from Tlaxcala, died on October 24.[111]
On November 13 (Week 44) Mexico reported a total of 991,835 cases and 97,056 total deaths, including 626 deaths in 24-hours, which represents a 2% increase since Week 43 but a 46% decrease since Week 28. 39% of the people tested for COVID-19 result positive. More than 3,000 active cases were reported in CDMX, Nuevo León, State of México, and Guanajuato. Mexico City may have to return to a state of maximum alert (traffic light red).[112]
Arturo Herrera Gutiérrez, Secretary of Finance and Public Credit (SHCP), says that a vaccine is necessary for an economic recovery, and that Mexico will have financial resources to pay for ten million doses per month. Dr. Hugo López-Gatell says the preliminary results from Pfizer and BioNTech are promising, but warns that Mexico does not have the infrastructure to store the vaccine at the needed -70 °C.[113]
Mexico passed 1,000,000 confirmed cases on November 15.[114]
A total of over 100,000 COVID-19 deaths was reported on November 19.[115]
On November 20, a judge in Chihuahua ruled that Elektra department stores and Banco Azteca, both owned by billionaire Ricardo Salinas Pliego, are not essential industries and must comply with the restrictions put in place by the state Department of Health.[116]
A record 10,000 new cases in a single day were recorded on November 24 and 25 after a 5% decrease was reported from Week 45 to Week 46. Mexico City and some states expressed concern about saturation of hospitals. Besides the capital, Guanajuato, Nuevo León, State of México, Querétaro, Coahuila, Durango, Jalisco, and Zacatecas each have more than 1,000 active cases. Chiapas and Campeche continue with green traffic lights.[117]
On December 3, AMLO said that the government of the United States helped him secure an agreement from Pfizer to secure 34.4 million doses of its COVID-19 vaccine, including 250,000 doses in December. The Army and Navy will be responsible for distribution.[118] Authorities in Puerto Marqués, Guerrero, broke up a birthday party of 500 people celebrating XV años; no arrests reported.[119]
The use of QR codes was begun in Mexico City Metro Line 2 to aid in contact tracing on December 9. It will soon extend to other metro and bus lines.[120] There were a reported 4,235 hospital beds occupied, representing 63% of capacity, in the Valley of Mexico. Although authorities have asked people to stay home as much as possible, it is common to see people on the streets and in shopping areas, often ignoring health precautions such as safe distancing and the use of face coverings.[121]
On December 10, for the first time three dogs, two in Mexico City and one in the State of Mexico, were reported with COVID-19.[122]
On December 11, López-Gatell said that the average age of death due to the Coronavirus in Mexico is 55, compared to 75 in Europe. He explained that the difference is primarily due to high rates of obesity and diabetes in Mexico. He also said that all purchases of vaccines will be done by the federal government, although some politicians have suggested governors should buy their own supplies for their states.[123] The government's medical safety commission approved the emergency use of the Pfizer-BioNTech coronavirus vaccine, following approval by Great Britain, Canada, and Bahrain and just before approval by the United States. The first 250,000 doses will go to health workers.[124]
On December 15, López-Gatell said that the government will not order a general lockdown despite recent increases in cases because 60 million people who live in poverty cannot afford it. The country reported 5,930 new infections and 345 deaths, fr a total 1,255,974 cases and 114,298. Mexico City reports 75% saturation of hospital beds and 68%-70% saturation of beds with ventilators.[125] Governor Alejandro Tello of Zacatecas, one of two states (with Baja California) with traffic light red, tests positive for COVID-19.[126]
According to a survey released by the Instituto Nacional de Salud Pública (National Institute of Public Health—INSP) on December 16, 31 million Mexicans, 25% of the population, has been exposed to the virus.[127]
On December 16, thirty-seven hospitals in the Valley of Mexico reported "critical" (90%—100%) occupancy, 25 reported "medium" (50%—89%) occupancy, and 13 "good" (0%—49%) occupancy for COVID-19 patients.[128] Also 150 members of SEDENA and 50 members of SEMAR began training for application of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine.[129]
On December 17, Hugo Lopez-Gatell walked back an announcement made last week that Mexico planned to buy 35 million doses of the Chinese-made Convidecia vaccine, suggesting the figure may be closer to 10 million doses. He also said the country is close to signing an agreement to purchases 22 million doses from the Belgian-made Janssen Pharmaceutica vaccine.[130]
Despite government warnings against family reunions, on December 18 the Instituto Nacional de Migración (National Migration Institute—INM) reported that a caravan of 700 vehicles had crossed the border from Laredo, Texas, filled with migrants looking to reunite with their families for holiday gatherings.[131]
The number of passengers at Benito Juárez International Airport in CDMX increased as the Christmas holiday season neared.[132]
On December 20, the Instituto Nacional de Transparencia, Acceso a la Información y Protección de Datos Personales (National Institute for Transparency, Access to Information, and Protection of Personal Information, INAI) order the Secretariat of Health (SSA) to provide complete information about the number of COVID-related deaths from February 19 to August 31. Esta es una información que debe tener la Secretaría de Salud disponible, aun cuando el cálculo sea letal, como alguna vez lo hemos dicho, sea gráficamente desolador, sea evidentemente lamentable y, por supuesto, preocupante, porque es una tragedia, repito, no se debe maquillar, debe exponerse claramente, ("This is information that the Ministry of Health must have available, even when the calculation is lethal, as we have once said, it is graphically devastating, it is obviously regrettable and, of course, worrying, because it is a tragedy, I repeat, You must not put on makeup, it must be clearly exposed,") said INAI commissioner Francisco Javier Acuña Llamas.[133] Patricia Elisa Durán Reveles, municipal president of Naucalpan, State of Mexico, celebrates her wedding in Cuernavaca, Morelos with 100 guests, despite prohibitions of large crowds. Naucalpan is classified in the red zone while Cuernavaca is orange.[134]
The first batch of vaccines arrived on December 23 with distribution to begin on December 24.[135]
Between December 21 and 23, two hundred three vehicles with 609 people were turned around when they tried to enter Queretaro despite prohibitions against unnecessary travel. Authorities revised 3,383 vehicles and 7,767 people.[136]
Morelos returned to Red alert on December 24. The state reported an 80% increase in cases in December.[137] A Costco big-box store in Cuernavaca had been closed less than 24 hours earlier for violating restrictions on capacity.[138]
Six hundred twenty employees of IMSS from 13 states were sent to the CDMX on December 26 to reinforce efforts to combat the virus. They were supported by 500 Cuban health workers.[139]
SSA reported on December 27 that 10% of the country's total deaths can be attributed to COVID-19. The average number of deaths increased annually by 20,000 from 2015 to 2019, but so far in 2020 the increase has been about 200,000.[140] Sixty-two medical residents at Mexico City General Hospital, including 48 who work directly with COVID-19 patients, protested because they did not receive vaccines but personnel who do not work with virus patients did.[141] Governor José Ignacio Peralta Sánchez of Colima announced that he had tested positive for COVID-19.[142]
Despite the Red alert prohibiting large gatherings, in the State of Mexico, police in Ecatapec and Chalco, State of Mexico, were compelled to close a bar and several large parties as well as stores illegally selling alcohol over the weekend of December 25–27.[143]
On December 29, AMLO reported that China would be sending eight million doses of its CanSino BIO vaccine to Mexico between January and March 2021, and the vaccination of Mexico's elderly could begin. The vaccine does not require cold storage and only one dose is required.[144]
On December 30, AMLO promised to investigate, and if appropriate, punish the director of a hospital in the State of Mexico who, along with his wife and daughters, inappropriately received vaccinations reserved for frontline health workers.[145] An unconfirmed report on Milenio Televisión indicated that 29 of the 109 vaccines applied in Coahuila went to health-system bureaucrats instead of frontline workers.
2020 in Mexico ended on December 31 with 1,426,094 confirmed cases (12,159 in the last 24 hours) and 125,807 confirmed deaths (910 in the last 24 hours). The virus strain that began in the U.K. has not been found in Mexico.[146] Dr. Ana Paola de Cosío Farías, assigned to pediatric hospital "Dr. Silvestre Frenk Freund", Centro Médico Nacional Siglo XXI, resigns after complaining that she and her colleagues have been passed over for receiving the vaccine and have been denied the COVID-19 bonus payment.[147]
January–March 2021
On January 1, police in Mexico City (SSC) warned of online and social media fraud in the purchase or rent of oxygen tanks.[148] Over the weekend of January 1 to 3, oxygen distribution at the Hospital General de Zona 83 (IMSS), in Morelia, Michoacán, failed. Thirty-six patients died before employees could restore the system.[149]
AMLO reported on January 2 that 64% of the 53,625 doses of vaccines the country has received have been applied. He expects the 750,000 health workers in the country to be vaccinated by the end of the January.[150] A 32-year-old doctor in Nuevo Leon was hospitalized after an alergic reaction to the Pfizer vaccine.[151]
Starting January 4, five entities—CDMX, State of Mexico, Baja California, Guanajuato, and Morelos—will be on Red Alert, 22 are Orange, three Yellow, and two—Campeche and Chiapas—Green.[152] The Federal Commission for Protection Against Health Risks (Cofepris) authorized the emergency use of the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine. Mexico signed an agreement to acquire 77.4 million doses between March and August 2021.[153]
45,850 doses of the Pfizer vaccine arrived at the Mexico City International Airport (AICM) on January 5, 2021, destined for frontline health workers. 43,960 people have received the first injection.[154] AMLO outlined plans to recruit 10,000 brigades with 120,000 people to vaccinate 3 million people in isolated communities across the country. The plan calls for administering the vaccine in small communities first and major cities last.[155]
On January 7 the Catholic Church reported that four bishops and 135 priests had died in 2020 due to COVID-19.[156] For the second day in a row, a new record, this time 13,734 new cases were reported in one day. There are a total of 1,493,569 confirmed cases, and there is a 42% positivity rate.[157]
On January 8, Mexico City health director Oliva López Arellano clarified that the city has not initiated Code blue for hopelessly ill patients in hospitals in the city. Some patients have arrived at hospitals with very low oxygen levels, code red, and have passed away.[158] Thirty-five medical students working at the "Dr. José María Rodríguez" general hospital in Ectepac have tested positive. One student died on January 4, and the other students have since been relieved of their duties.[159]
On January 10, Gloria Molina, health secretary for Tamaulipas, announced that a 56-year-old man was found to be infected with the highly-contagious British strain of COVID-19. The man arrived in Mexico on December 29 after traveling to the United Kingdom in September 2020.[160] Jesús Ramírez Cuevas, general coordinator of Social Communication of the Presidency of the Republic, announced that he had tested positive to the coronavirus.[161]
The University of Guadalajara announced that COVID-19 daily deaths in the state tripled in the three weeks from December 19, 2020, to January 10. compared to the previous month, to an average 58 per day. Hospital bed use increased from 40.7% to 53.0%, and intensive care bed occupation increased from 51.0% to 56.2%.[162]
439,725 doses of vaccine arrived on January 12 which were then distributed for health workers at 879 hospitals across the country.[163] Foreign Minister Marcelo Ebrard said on January 13 that Mexico would enforce the United States–Mexico–Canada Agreement (called T-MEX in Mexico) to ensure that all its nationals would be vaccinated. Nebraska Governor Pete Ricketts reportedly threatened that undocked workers in meat–packing plants would not receive the vaccine.[164] The state of Michoacan reported that its public hospitals reached 100% occupancy and private hospitals were 85% full.[165]
Four bottles of the vaccine were stolen from "Carlos Calero Elorduy Hospital" run by SEDENA in Cuernavaca, Morelos, on January 14.[166]
SALUD reported a new one-day record for infections — 21,366 — on January 15. The agency also reported that nationally 59% of general hospital beds are occupied, and six entities report 70% or more occupation. 415,417 doses of vaccine have been applied, included 1,958 people who have had both injections. 667 people have had serious reactions to the vaccine and 21 have reported mild reactions.[167] Dr. Lopez-Gattel said that a lack of ultrafreezers makes it difficult to fully implement the vaccination program for the elderly. Most of the freezers capable of storage at -70 °C are found in the Metropolitan Area of the Valley of Mexico, Morelia, and Juriquilla, Queretaro, and eleven entities have none.[168]
Hundreds of people, few wearing face masks or keeping a healthy distance, attended the "Gran Bailazo 2021" featuring Norteño and dancing in Vícam, Sonora on January 16–17. No one was charged, and another event is planned for February 13. Sonora is on Orange Alert and Mexico is experiencing the fourth highest levels of COVID-19 infections in the world.[169]
1,584 deaths were confirmed on January 19, the highest single-day record since the pandemic began. Police in Tultepec, State of Mexico, recovered 44 oxygen tanks from a stolen truck. Seven oxygen tanks were stolen Navojoa, Sonora. A shortage of oxygen tanks was exacerbated by hording, and the consumer protection agency promoted its "Return Your Tank, For The Love of Life" campaign.[170]
On January 22, the Consejo Nacional de Población (National Population Board, CONAPO) stated that since March 2020, pregnancies among adolescents had increased 20% (145,719 unwanted pregnancies among women 15–19), and the suicide rate among young people 20–24 had increased to 9.3%. Suicide is the second cause of death among people 15–29.[171] Hugo Lopez-Gatell announced that second doses of the Pfizer vaccine may be delayed as the company plans to send half of a 200,000-dose shipment has been destined by WHO for poor countries. AMLO announced that local governments or private companies that wish to purchase vaccines will be allowed to do so.[172]
On January 24, President López Obrador announced he had a mild case of COVID-19. Interior Secretary Olga Sánchez Cordero will take over for him in his daily news conferences.[173]
With 659 new deaths, Mexico passes 150,000 total deaths on January 25.[174] Carlos Slim, Mexico′s richest man whose fortune is estimated at USD $60 billion, is infected with COVID-19.[175]
Health authorities reported on January 26 that 202 confirmed cases and 46 probable cases of COVID-19 were responsible for maternal deaths in 2020. Between January 2 and 7, nineteen of 31 (61.2%) maternal deaths were attributed to the coronavirus. Sixty-nine babies born at the Monica Pretelini Saenz maternal hospital in Toluca in 2020 had COVID-19; one died.[176]
On January 27, Secretary of the Interior Olga Sánchez Cordero reported that the pandemic in the Valley of Mexico had stabilized and the number of cases had slightly declined. Mayor Claudia Sheinbaum had said earlier that CDMX would remain on Red Alert through January 31.[177] INEGI reports 44.9% more COVID-19 related deaths (108,658) than those registered by SALUD from January–August, 2020, making the virus the second cause of death in the country (behind heart failure but ahead of type 2 diabetes). 58% of the deaths did not occur in hospitals.[178]
The Lowy Institute, an independent think tank in Australia, on January 28 describes Mexico′s response to the pandemic the second worst in the world.[179] Days after President López Obrador announced the purchase of the Sputnik V vaccine for delivery in Fecruary, the Russian government announced a 2–3 week delay in delivery.[180] With a 24-hour record of 1,506 deaths, only the United States reported more deaths on the 28th. Mexico is in eighth place in total deaths this week with 18,670.[181]
Thirty entities were on Maximum (red) or High (orange) alert on January 30; only Camperche and Chiapas were Low yellow. 1,841,893 total cases, 96,518 active cases, and 156,579 total deaths were reported. 662,217 people have received the first Pfizer vaccine and 31,397 have received both. 58% of general hospital beds and 52% of beds with ventilators are occupied, although the numbers are 80% each in CDMX.[182]
Vaccine registration for older (60+) adults began on February 2, although many failures were reported in the online-only system.[183]
A study by Instituto Nacional de Ciencias Medicas y Nutricion Salvador Zubiran released in February 2021 showed that from more than 100 people died between February 26 and June 5, 2020, because Intensive care unit (ICU) beds were unavailable at the hospital.[184]
Mexico′s mortality rate of 59.2 deaths per million people became the highest in Latin America on February 9, surpassing Panama and Peru; it is the 15th highest in the world.[185]
Vaccination of adults over sixty began on February 15.[186]
On February 16, Mexico passed two million confirmed coronavirus cases and 175,000 deaths, third highest in the world.[187]
The first shipment of 200,000 doses of the Sputnik V vaccine arrived from Moscow on February 22. The vaccine needs to be stored at between 2 °C and 8 °C; Mexico has contracted to buy 24 million doses.[188] Most of this first shipment is destined for elderly people (60+) in Xochimilco, Tláhuac, Iztacalco in Mexico City starting February 24.[189]
The 11th shipment of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine (511,000 doses) arrived from Belgium on February 23. The vaccine is destined for health workers; some was sent to Mexico City and some to Monterrey.[190] 4,180 doses of Coronavac vaccine are scheduled to be applied in the State of Mexico on February 23. The 429 deaths reported mark the fifth consecutive week of a decline in infections, hospitalizations, and deaths.[191]
The health department of Nuevo Leon was forced to return 4,680 Sinovac COVID-19 vaccines (33,480 doses) that had spoiled due to poor storage. They should be stored at a temperature of 2 °C to 8 °C, but were stored in coolers at 12 °C or 13 °C.[192]
As of 16 March, there have been 2,169,007 confirmed cumulative cases and 195,119 deaths in total. 3,794,719 people have been given the first dose of vaccine.[193]
Prosecutors announced on March 24 that they were unsure whether 5,000 Russian Sputnik V vaccine doses seized aboard a private plane bound for Honduras were authentic. No arrests can be made until their authenticity is established.[194]
The number of confirmed COVID-19 deaths passed 200,000 on March 25, 2021, third highest in the world. With 2,214,542 confirmed cases, Mexico is in thirteenth place in total cases. 6,643,886 doses of vaccine have been applied.[195]
On March 28 a report was issued showing 294,287 COVID-19-related deaths by March 15, 61.4% higher than previously reported. The number of excess deaths is said to be 417,002.[196] The number of daily deaths continues on a downward trend, with 194 deaths reported on March 28. Seven states are in the traffic light orange as Holy Week begins. No state is in red, and Coahuila, Tamaulipas, Veracruz, Jalisco, Nayarit, Chiapas, and Campeche are green.[197]
April–June 2021
Medical personnel from private hospitals protested outside the "Escuela Médico Naval" in Mexico City on April 1, demanding to be vaccinated, only to be turned away since there were no vaccines available.[198]
On June 9, Dr. López-Gatell announced he would no longer be giving daily updates on the pandemic, although he would continue to give occasional press conferences.[199]
On June 10, 225 new deaths were reported, bringing the official total to 229,578. 3,672 new cases were reported, bringing the total number of cases to 2,445,538. 1,948,268 people have recovered. The entities with the most active cases are Mexico City (>3,000), Tabasco, Yucatán, Quintana Roo, Baja California Sur, Tamaulipas, and State of México with more than 1,000 each. 25,306,211 people over 40, health workers, Olympic athletes, health workers, and pregnant women have received at least one dosis of the vaccine. 58% have received the complete doses. 28% of the population over 18 have been vaccinated.[200]
Five private schools in Sinaloa had to suspend in-person classes after cases of COVID-19 were discovered on June 11, 2021.[201] Dr. Hugo López-Gatell said the Comisión Federal para la Protección contra Riesgos Sanitarios (Cofepris, Federal Commission for the Protection Against Health Risks) will evaluate the Pfizer proposal to apply its vaccine in children 12 years old or older.[202]
January 2022
Popular travel destinations such as Puerto Vallarta mandated presentation of either vaccination proof or a negative PCR test result for individuals over 18 years to public recreational places owing to surge in Covid cases.[203]
Vaccination
Statistics
Curves of infection and deaths
On April 20, the Secretariat of Health started to report active cases at the daily press conference.[204]
 | Graphs are unavailable due to technical issues. There is more info on Phabricator and on MediaWiki.org. |
New cases per day
Graphs based on daily reports from the Mexican Secretariat of Health on confirmed cases of COVID-19.[13]
| Graphs are unavailable due to technical issues. There is more info on Phabricator and on MediaWiki.org. |