The third wave of the coronavirus pandemic continues to decline in Mexico but hundreds of COVID-19 deaths are still being reported every day.
An average of 4,322 cases per day were reported in Mexico over the past week, according to the Reuters COVID-19 tracker, a figure just 23% of the peak recorded in August, the worst month of the pandemic in terms of new infections.
There was an average of 307 COVID deaths reported every day over the past week. Reuters said the daily average has declined by more than 230 over the past three weeks and is currently just 18% of its pandemic peak.
Mexico’s accumulated case tally rose to 3.76 million on Tuesday while the official death toll increased to 284,925. There are 32,816 estimated active cases across the country.
Deputy Health Minister Hugo López-Gatell said Tuesday that case numbers have been on the wane for 11 weeks.
“… The incidence of cases is now lower than at the lowest point between the first and second waves,” he said, adding that if the reduction in case numbers is maintained, Mexico will reach the “absolute lowest point of the epidemic” next week, even though infections will presumably still be higher than in the early days of the pandemic.
“Less than 1% of estimated [total] cases are active cases,” the coronavirus point man said.
He also said hospitalizations have decreased, adding that the number of patients currently in hospital is 81% lower than the pandemic peak. While case numbers were higher during the third wave than during the second, hospitalizations were much lower, the deputy minister said.
The majority of cases during the delta variant-driven third wave were among younger people who were less likely to be vaccinated but also less susceptible to serious disease. Most young people have now had at least one shot as Mexico nears the conclusion of its vaccine rollout.
The Health Ministry reported Tuesday that 77% of adults have had at least one shot. A total of 69.3 million people have been vaccinated, it said, adding that 51.5 million are fully vaccinated.
Mexico currently has no plans to vaccinate all children aged 12 to 17, but will offer shots to adolescents with underlying health conditions that make them vulnerable to serious disease.
Mexico’s approach contrasts sharply with that of the United States, where vaccines are available to youths 12 and over and the Biden administration intends to offer the Pfizer shot to children aged 5 to 11 if it’s approved by U.S. drug regulators.
The White House said Wednesday that it will make vaccination convenient, easily accessible and free for kids aged 5 to 11 if the Pfizer shot is authorized by the Food and Drug Administration and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Source: Mexico News Daily
