Coronavirus cases more than double as uncounted infections are added

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Coronavirus deaths on Wednesday reached 12, the most fatalities in a single day this year, Yucatán health officials said. One of the victims was only 35.

Additionally, doctors reported 130 new cases, more than twice the number reported the day before.

A counting error further confused efforts to keep records. Active cases were found to be higher than previously thought when 314 uncounted cases were added to the total earlier in the week.

But recoveries continued to outpace new infections, with 86% of Yucatán’s COVID-19 patients declared recovered since the pandemic reached the Peninsula.

New cases included 88 in Mérida, eight in Umán, seven in Kanasín, five in Progreso, four in Tizimín, three in Valladolid, two in Dzidzantún, and one in Chemax, Chumayel, Maxcanú, Motul, Peto, Río Lagartos, Sanahcat, Sinanché, Sucilá, Telchac Pueblo, Tzucacab, Uayma and Yobaín.

The deceased included seven men and five women ranging in age from 35 to 93. They suffered from other conditions such as hypertension, diabetes, obesity, chronic kidney failure, liver disease, smoking and heart disease.

Eight resided in Mérida, one in Motul, another in Tzucacab, one more in Umán and one was from outside either the state or country.

In total, 3,047 people have died in Yucatán from COVID-19 since April 2020.

Active cases include 666 with mild symptoms at home and 213 — down five in one day — admitted in one of the state’s public hospitals.

Across Mexico

The nation is recording some of its highest daily death tolls since the pandemic began, with 1,539 deaths reported Wednesday and 1,584 the previous day.

There was also a near-record one-day rise Wednesday when 20,548 new infections were recorded.

Mexico has seen almost 1.69 million confirmed coronavirus infections and over 144,000 test-confirmed deaths related to COVID-19. The country’s testing rate is extremely low, however, and official estimates suggest the real death toll is closer to 195,000.

Hospitals in Mexico City, the current center of the pandemic in Mexico, were at 89% capacity Wednesday, while 61% of hospital beds nationwide were filled.

The crisis sparked an uptick in brazen oxygen-tank thefts.

An armed thief stole oxygen tanks from a hospital in northern Mexico on Tuesday, and other thieves stole a truck carrying oxygen tanks near Mexico City.

On Wednesday, federal police said armed thieves kidnapped a man in Ecatepec to hijack the truck in which he was carrying 44 oxygen tanks intended for COVID-19 patients.

The vaccine rollout is rolling slowly. Mexico has received only about 750,000 doses of the Pfizer vaccine, with about 500,000 administered so far. The country has 750,000 front-line medical personnel, all of whom will need two doses.

With information from the Yucatán Health Ministry and The Associated Press

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