UNAM Recommends the Return to Face Masks After an Uptick in New COVID Cases in Mexico

PUERTO VALLARTA (PVDN) – The National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM) issued a statement on Monday, expressing concern about the recent spike in COVID-19 cases. While the numbers of hospitalizations, deaths, and viral variants remain stable, the university is advising students to don masks, particularly in crowded and indoor settings. The call to action comes during a challenging period of extensive travel for the holidays, involving both Mexican citizens and foreign visitors flocking to the country’s renowned beaches.

According to the Epidemiological Surveillance System responsible for monitoring disease incidence, the penultimate week of July witnessed 1,597 COVID-19 cases. This represents a nearly 50% decrease from the 3,256 cases recorded in the second week of the month. This decrease is especially noteworthy compared to the same period last year: in the third week of July 2022, there were 164,585 positive cases. So far in 2023, the total stands at 359,281 cases, a significant drop from the 2,685,367 cases reported in 2022.

Despite the non-alarming nature of the current statistics, UNAM, the foremost university in Mexico, is urging students to protect themselves with masks as they return to class. The university is set to reopen on September 11 and is asking its students to be considerate of the most vulnerable, such as those with pre-existing conditions that could exacerbate the spread of the virus. To this end, it is advising those experiencing symptoms of acute respiratory illness, such as flu, cold, cough, sore throat, or fever, to self-isolate.

This latest uptick is a far cry from the harrowing peak of the COVID-19 pandemic. On May 9, Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador declared the end of the health emergency, mere days after the World Health Organization (WHO) made a similar declaration. Mexico has shown resilience in the face of the pandemic, boasting reduced infection and death rates, and high immunity levels among its population. Despite this, the disease has claimed the lives of approximately 334,000 people, according to conservative estimates by authorities.

While the majority of citizens are keen to consign the virus to history, there are those who continue to live in its shadow. Persistent “mask-wearing” is still visible on Mexico City’s streets, and the echo of survivors’ stories reverberates on social media. The country is also grappling with the challenge of ‘long COVID’, a condition affecting an estimated 10% to 20% of those infected. This condition, marked by lingering damage to the respiratory or neurological systems, is yet to be widely recognized in Mexico and is rarely addressed within its public health system.

PUERTO VALLARTA (PVDN) - The National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM) issued a statement on Monday, expressing concern about the recent spike in COVID-19 cases. While the numbers of hospitalizations, deaths, and viral variants remain stable, the university is advising students to don masks, particularly in crowded and indoor settings. The call to action comes during a challenging period of extensive travel for the holidays, involving both Mexican citizens and foreign visitors flocking to the country's renowned beaches.

Follow Us On Google News | Get Our Newsletter



Trending News on PVDN

  • real estate puerto vallartaHow safe is it to buy real estate in Puerto Vallarta? Jalisco’s Real Estate sector at risk: AMPI Warns Informality threatens Jalisco's booming real estate market. AMPI urges mandatory professional standards to protect consumers and secure investor trust. The president of AMPI Guadalajara, Karen Julieta Correa Cabrales, has raised alarms over the high level of informality in the region's real estate market. She warns that this lack of regulation is jeopardizing both consumer security and…
  • cancunCancún Ranks as Worst Tourist Destination of 2025 According to Google Reviews A recent survey of nearly 100,000 Google reviews has tagged Cancún as the most disappointing tourist city of 2025. The Daily Mail study examined feedback from the world’s 100 busiest destinations and found that 14.2 percent of Cancún’s reviews were negative—the highest share recorded among all cities analyzed. That mark put Cancún two full percentage…
  • protest puerto vallarta trumpUS Citizens Abroad to Protest Trump’s Immigration Raids in Puerto Vallarta U.S. citizens residing abroad are set to hold a peaceful demonstration in Puerto Vallarta on June 14 to protest recent anti-immigrant raids in Los Angeles and to defend the U.S. Constitution and rule of law. The march, organized by the grassroots group No U.S. Kings Day and supported by Democrats Abroad Costa Banderas, aims to…
  • cjngLos Chapitos and CJNG Form Supercartel to Control Mexican Drug Trade Los Chapitos and the CJNG form an unprecedented alliance, escalating cartel violence and drug trafficking threats across Mexico. A new alliance between Los Chapitos, the faction controlled by the sons of Joaquín "El Chapo" Guzmán, and the powerful Cartel Jalisco Nueva Generación (CJNG) has alarmed authorities and analysts, potentially reshaping Mexico’s criminal landscape. The partnership,…
  • 5-de-diciembre-puerto-vallarta-neighborhoodAmerican tourist dies in fall at Hilton Hotel in Puerto Vallarta A 20-year-old tourist from Indiana died after falling from a balcony at the Hilton Hotel in Puerto Vallarta. Authorities are investigating the incident. An American tourist died Sunday afternoon after falling from a balcony at the Hilton Hotel in Puerto Vallarta, a popular resort located in the city’s south hotel zone. Authorities confirmed the victim…
  • Tropical Storm Dalila MexicoTropical Storm Dalila Mexico Will Bring Heavy Rains to Nine States Tropical Storm Dalila Mexico is set to form off Guerrero’s coast by June 14, unleashing heavy to very heavy rains in Michoacán, Guerrero, Oaxaca and triggering alerts across nine states. The National Water Commission (Conagua) has issued a tropical storm watch as the area of low pressure designated “Four-E” gains organization off the southern coast…
  • no kings dayU.S. Citizens in Puerto Vallarta to hold “No Kings Day” Protest Today U.S. citizens in Puerto Vallarta will join a global “No Kings Day” protest today, denouncing Trump’s immigration raids and defending democratic norms. U.S. citizens residing overseas will gather today in Puerto Vallarta to participate in a global “No Kings Day” protest against President Donald Trump’s immigration enforcement actions, particularly recent raids in Los Angeles, organizers…
  • don-balde-killed-chiapas-border-operationDon Balde killed in Chiapas border operation Don Balde killed during a June 8 operation by the Pakal Reaction Force in Las Champas, Chiapas, ending his role as founder of the Chiapas-Guatemala cartel and CJNG collaborator. On Sunday, June 8, in the commercial border zone of Las Champas, Frontera Comalapa in Chiapas, elements of the Fuerza de Reacción Inmediata Pakal shot and…
  • cancun-sargassum-arrival-cleanup-effortsCancun sargassum arrival prompts cleanup efforts on beaches Tourism in Cancun faces challenges as the Cancun sargassum arrival brings tons of seaweed ashore, but authorities ramp up cleanup with barriers, machinery and 7,500 meters of booms to keep prime beaches clear. Despite a record influx of sargassum, local officials and private operators in Cancun are intensifying cleanup operations to preserve the city’s beach…
  • crime-sceneItalian Tourist Dies After Falling at Sayulita Rental Property Sayulita, Nayarit – Early on Tuesday, June 10, 2025, an Italian tourist identified as 37-year-old Giacomo “N” died after plunging from an upper floor of a vacation rental in the pueblo mágico of Sayulita, in the municipality of Bahía de Banderas. Emergency services pronounced him dead at the scene, where he was found in the…
Scroll to Top