The federal Health Ministry reported a single-day record of 8,438 new coronavirus cases on Thursday, lifting Mexico’s accumulated case tally to 370,712. However, the number of people who have been infected is estimated to be much higher due to Mexico's low testing rates.
It was the first time that more than 8,000 additional cases were reported since the coronavirus was first detected in Mexico almost five months ago. Thursday’s tally exceeded the previous single-day record of 7,615 cases by 11%.
718 additional Covid-19 fatalities were also reported, lifting Mexico’s death toll to 41,908.
Almost 9% of the total confirmed cases – 31,995 – are currently active, according to federal data, while there are also 89,547 suspected cases.
47% of general care hospital beds set aside for coronavirus patients are currently occupied while 38% of those with ventilators are in use.
Coronavirus has taken a toll on Mexico because it many of its citizens have underlying health issues, including heart disease and diabetes. 86% of people who have lost their lives to Covid-19 in Mexico had at least one existing health problem, the most common being diabetes, hypertension, obesity and heart disease.
Deputy Health Minister Hugo López-Gatell, has said that the government is not interested in testing Mexicans en masse because doing so would be “useless, impracticable and very expensive.”
The federal government has asked authorities in Mexico’s 32 states to test only 10% of people with coronavirus symptoms, although at least eight states have ignored the advice.