- Title: Mexico battles surge in COVID-19 infections as deaths pass 250,000
- Date: 19th August 2021
- Summary: MEXICO CITY, MEXICO (AUGUST 18, 2021) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF PEOPLE WALKING DOWN AT MEXICO CITY DOWNTOWN LATIN-AMERICAN TOWER PEOPLE WITHOUT FACEMASKS AMBULANCE IN STREET SIGN READING (Spanish) "COVID-19 ROUTE" AMBULANCE ARRIVING AT HOSPITAL COVID-19 PATIENT ON STRETCHER ARRIVING AT HOSPITAL (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) PARAMEDIC, ALEJANDRO CANALES, SAYING: "Unfortunately, the number of cases has increased. It's no longer just older people, also in young people of 15, 18, and 25 years old. People have not wanted to pay attention to the authorities, and people do not stay at home." HEALTH WORKERS TRANSPORTING COVID-19 PATIENT ON STRETCHER HEALTH WORKERS LOADING PATIENT ON TO AMBULANCE (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) RELATIVE OF COVID-19 PATIENT, REINA SANCHEZ, SAYING: "Unfortunately, even though people are already vaccinated, they continue to get infected; people do not understand it, they go out without face masks. The saddest thing is that now the children are getting sick. Yesterday several children infected with COVID-19 were hospitalized." EXTERIOR OF FEDERICO GOMEZ HOSPITAL PEOPLE WALKING OUTSIDE HOSPITAL MEXICO CITY, MEXICO (AUGUST 17, 2021) (REUTERS) EXTERIOR OF OXYGEN STORE SELLER PLACING OXYGEN TANK ON CART WOMAN CARRYING OXYGEN TANK (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) RELATIVE OF COVID-19 PATIENT, JAIME GONZALEZ, SAYING: "Oxygen is getting scarce, and there are few hospital beds. It's impossible for people to remain locked up, always. But we haven't been able to strike a balance between what is necessary to stay healthy and live an economically viable life." PEOPLE ARRIVING AT VACCINATION CENTRE HEALTH WORKERS PREPARING VACCINES PERSON BEING VACCINATED VACCINE BEING PREPARED PERSON BEING VACCINATED PEOPLE WAITING TO GET VACCINATED
- Embargoed: 2nd September 2021 20:44
- Keywords: COVID-19 Coronavirus Mexico health pandemic vaccine
- Location: MEXICO CITY, NEZAHUALCOYOTL, MEXICO
- City: MEXICO CITY, NEZAHUALCOYOTL, MEXICO
- Country: Mexico
- Topics: Health/Medicine,South America / Central America
- Reuters ID: LVA001EQY57PJ
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: Mexico is battling a new wave of coronavirus infections as daily cases hit record highs and the official death toll passed 250,000, one of the highest worldwide.
Health authorities on Wednesday (August 18) reported nearly 29,000 daily new cases, Mexico's highest for any day except for statistical one-offs.
Mexico also recorded 940 more confirmed deaths, the highest number in a single day since February, excepting the one-offs.
Earlier this month, the United Kingdom placed Mexico on its red list of countries subject to the strictest travel curbs.
Jaime Gonzalez, a doctor who was buying an oxygen tank for a family member in Mexico City, said he was seeing hospital beds filling up again, and oxygen short in supply.
"It's impossible for people to remain locked up, always," Gonzalez said. "But we haven't been able to strike a balance between what is necessary to stay healthy and live an economically viable life."
Alejandro Canales, a paramedic in Mexico City, also said he had recently seen more patients, especially younger ones.
"It's no longer just older people," he said.
Health officials have said the real number of cases is likely well above the official tally, and figures published earlier this year showed it could be at least 60% higher.
Still, the higher infection numbers probably in part reflect more widespread testing in Mexico, which for a long time carried out very few compared to many Western countries.
On Wednesday, Mexico chalked up more than 73,000 tests, around five times the number it was logging on weekdays the same the week last year, official government data show.
On Thursday, authorities logged another 23,006 new confirmed coronavirus cases and 850 more deaths, bringing the total number to 3,175,211 cases and 251,319 deaths.
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