According to the Undersecretary of Prevention and Health Promotion of the Ministry of Health, the decision was made to advance and apply preventive measures for Phase 2 despite the fact that Mexico has remained in Phase 1 of the contingency that exists. due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
So far there are 251 confirmed cases of coronavirus in Mexico and there are two deaths; patients are being cared for in various states of the country.
Phase 2 of the coronavirus contingency
López Gatell explained that when the coronavirus epidemic arrived in Mexico, emphasis was placed on the detection of suspected cases, then their isolation and confirmation by a laboratory. Then, to the study of the contacts and the isolation of all of them. This is a measure of containment of people infected with COVID-19 in the country.
He recognized that the more the number of confirmed cases in Mexico grows, the more difficult it is to follow up on all the contacts of the confirmed cases. In addition, cases will begin to appear where it will not be known exactly who was the person who started the contagion in that area.
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The Ministry of Health reported that despite the fact that Mexico remains in Phase 1 of the contingency, it will apply Phase 2 measures by COVID-19 in Mexico.
Hugo López Gatell said that Mexico should not wait for Phase 2 to be defined, so from Saturday, March 21st, they decided to implement actions for the next phase so Mexico will have more opportunity to combat the virus.
He added that since January of this year protocols were initiated to expand Mexico’s hospital capacity.
Phase 2 of pandemic prevention normally begins when community transmission is recorded, meaning the virus is detected in people who have not traveled to the source country of the virus or had contact with any known cases, when the chain of infection has been lost. Mexico recorded its first community transmission 10-days ago, yet still reports that they haven’t met the standards to raise to Phase-2.
Mexico is one of the few countries that have not implemented any travel restrictions, including travel from the world’s hardest-hit countries. The country has been slow to end large public gatherings, including Latin America’s largest music festival, which resulted in at least one reported case of COVID-19.
Mexico’s president has received criticism for his lack of leadership and suggesting that prayers and a four-leaf clover is protection against COVID-19. The president has maintained the position that the pandemic isn’t anything to worry about and an attempt from the opposition party to derail his presidency.
