The first coronavirus vaccines will arrive on Jan. 12, Yucatan officials announced as new infections rose dramatically for a second consecutive day, passing 27,000 since the pandemic began.
A schedule released by the governor indicates a slow road to getting over 2 million Yucatan residents vaccinated.
A shipment of 10,725 doses will first be assigned to Yucatan’s health-care workers, followed by rural elderly residents. The governor also indicated that it was unknown if vaccines will be manufactured by Pfizer, AstraZeneca or CanSino. The distinction is meaningful because the first two brands require two shots before considered effective.
The 85 doctors and 200 ICU, emergency-care and recovery-ward nurses in the front lines of COVID-19 care will be first in line. The next shipment arrives Jan. 19 with 6,825 doses and 9,750 more doses come in a week after that.
Health officials on Thursday reported 124 new coronavirus infections while eight patients died. The number of patients recovering at home shot up by 40 in one day while hospitalizations increased by four.
Daily new infections had stayed in the 50-80 range for weeks, but surged to 101 on Wednesday.
The increase was expected. With holiday celebrations, social distancing went out the window on many occasions.
The dead included five men and three women between 50 to 82. New infections were mainly in Mérida, with others coming from Tizimín, Motul, Peto, Temozón, Valladolid, Kanasín, Telchac Pueblo, Ticul, Acanceh, Conkal, Dzemul, Maxcanú, Progreso, Tekax, Tunkás, Tzucacab and Umán.
