With 353 deaths by COVID-19 in only 24 hours, AMLO wants to return to “normality”.
MEXICO CITY (Times Media Mexico) – Mexico’s health authorities reported 353 deaths from COVID-19 on Tuesday, May 12, 2020, bringing the total to 3,926 deaths and 38,324 infections, 1,997 more than the previous day.
The 353 deaths in the last 24 hours were the highest number of deaths since the pandemic began in this country on February 28.
“The epidemic continues to maintain the upward trend, especially when we see the confirmed cases, and the ones suspected to be infected, waiting for a laboratory result,” José Luis Alomía, director of epidemiology, said in the presentation of the daily technical report.
Alomía explained that the cumulative load of confirmed cases since the beginning of the pandemic increased in the last few days by 1,997 infections, “we were close to 2,000,” he said.
The accumulated cases, 38,324, showed a 5.5% increase compared to the 36,327 reported in Monday’s technical report, said the Mexican epidemiologist.
The ongoing epidemic of COVID-19 in the country is represented this Tuesday by 8,817 infected people who developed symptoms in the last 14 days, an increase of 529 infections more than the previous day.
The highest concentration of active cases is in Mexico City (2,170) and the State of Mexico (1,176) for a joint total of 3,346 of the 8,817 nationwide.
The number of deaths rose by 353 on just one day to bring the cumulative figure from 3,573 on Monday to 3,926 this Tuesday. Besides, there are 277 suspicious deaths awaiting laboratory results.
Health authorities reported 22,980 suspected cases waiting for the laboratory to confirm or rule out their infection with COVID-19; also, 80,900 patients have tested negative, and a total universe of 142,204 people studied.
The availability of beds for patients with COVID requiring admission reached 15,128 beds in 695 hospitals on Tuesday, of which 7,716 are occupied, a rate of 51% of the total, the expert explained.
Of the beds with a ventilator for patients who need to be intubated, 26% are occupied nationwide, although, by state, Mexico City has an occupation of 56%, added Alomía.
Mexico is currently in the phase of massive contagion, in which cases are counted in the thousands. Since March 23, mitigation measures to combat the pandemic are being maintained and will be in effect until May 31.
Despite the deaths, Andrés Manuel López Obrador will present tomorrow, Wednesday, a plan for “the new normal” that will begin to operate when the stage of social distancing dictated to mitigate the COVID-19 pandemic is over.
The Mexican government has banned non-essential economic activities during April and May. No sanctions for companies have been specified that fail to comply and urged the population to stay at home during this time. In Mexico, quarantine is not mandatory not to affect the millions of people who live from informal trade.
According to the health authorities’ forecasts, decontamination should begin in June.
