Mexico City and neighboring state of Mexico will ban non-essential activities in an effort to curb a spike in COVID-19 cases that has overwhelmed hospitals, officials announced on Friday.
Driving the news: Mexico City Mayor Claudia Sheinbaum said the hospital capacity is about 75%, but the federal government has set the number at 80% per AP. Families have reported spending hours searching for open hospital beds in the capital.
Details: Restaurants must close from Saturday, except for takeout.
- Many non-essential stores also have to close and cultural activities postponed or canceled.
- The restrictions last until at least January 10th.
- Friday’s announcement comes as shopping centers and stores have seen an increase in customer numbers over the holiday season.
What they say: “With these extraordinary measures we will help reduce infections and hospitalizations in the Valley of Mexico, ”Deputy Health Minister Hugo Lopez-Gatell tweeted Friday.
The big picture: According to data from Johns Hopkins University, Mexico has nearly 1.3 million confirmed COVID-19 cases and more than 116,480 deaths since Friday afternoon, although the numbers are believed to be much higher.
- Mexico City has confirmed more than 19,000 deaths from coronavirus and about 20% of cases in the country, according to Bloomberg News.
Worth nothing: Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador has imposed lockdowns and face masks on the tactics of “dictatorship”, according to AP.