The capital of Mexico and the neighboring state of Mexico City will remain under epidemiological red lights for at least another week, from January 11 to 17, 2021. This means that all non-essential economic activities, including tourism, are not yet able to resume.
Mexico City Mayor Claudia Sheinbaum, speaking at a news conference, said that although restrictions imposed since December 18 have helped reduce infection rates, hospital occupancy in the capital remains a problem. There are currently 6,681 coronavirus patients in Mexico City hospitals, including 1,674 — on ventilators. Mexico City's general hospitals have 89% of their beds occupied, according to federal data.
Since the start of the pandemic, Mexico City has reported 354,011 confirmed cases, equal to almost a quarter of all cases detected in Mexico. The official death toll in the capital — 22,897 people.
In the neighboring state of Mexico, which covers many of the municipalities that make up the Mexico City metropolitan area, hospital occupancy rates reach 83%. In recent days, about 3,000 coronavirus patients have been hospitalized in the state — more than at any other time during the pandemic. The state of Mexico ranks second after the capital in both reported cases and deaths from the coronavirus.
In addition to the capital and the state of Mexico, the epidemiological traffic light is red in the states of Baja California, Guanajuato and Morelos. Next week, these states will also continue to have the highest level of epidemiological alarm.
Several more states in Mexico are close to imposing the highest level of quarantine restrictions in the near future. The Michoacan State Ministry of Health reported that hospital occupancy in the state capital of Morelia reached 92%. As part of efforts to curb the spread of the virus, municipal officials announced the suspension of all non-essential businesses until at least the end of the weekend.
Michoacán, which is now orange on the epidemiological traffic light map, is also experiencing a sharp increase in cases. The situation is similar in Culiacan, the capital of the state of Sinaloa. Authorities in these states attribute the increase in incidence to the active celebration of Christmas and New Year, when residents did not comply with established bans on gatherings and parties.
In the state of Nuevo Leon the situation is no better. At the same time, the authorities do not yet plan to tighten restrictions, hoping for the start of mass vaccination. Gov. Jaime Rodriguez Calderon said this week he will try to persuade the federal government to allow the state to purchase vaccines so it can begin its own vaccination program without relying on federal authorities.
The red light of the epidemiological traffic light means that only essential enterprises providing the most essential services are allowed to operate: healthcare, transport, state and municipal authorities, grocery stores, etc. Restaurants and catering establishments are allowed to operate for takeout only, but many have chosen to close temporarily. Hotels have the option to continue operating while limiting the number of guests and not providing services in common areas. Museums, galleries, cinemas, sports facilities, archaeological sites, parks and other public places are required to remain closed until the situation improves. Tourist activities have also been suspended.
Since the beginning of the epidemic, as of January 7, 2021, Mexico has recorded almost 1.49 million cases of coronavirus and more than 131 thousand deaths. This week, in just 1 day, the number of deaths was 1,044 — figure close to record.