The Yucatan state government threatened to reverse the reopening of the economy after the health authority reported an increase in COVID-19 hospital admissions and more coronavirus tests coming back positive.
Deaths from coronavirus reached 338 Thursday while 10 more patients died. Also in the past 24 hours, 79 new infections were found, outpacing the 25 recoveries that were also announced.
Yucatan has been at the “orange” stage, but could return to “red,” with the most stringent restrictions if the trend doesn’t reverse, authorities said at Thursday’s briefing. That would close most hotels, shops and salons, and bring an end to dining out, which some restaurants have been offering just for the past couple of days.
These are Thursday’s indicators of the Yucatan state red-orange-yellow-green “traffic light”:
• ICU occupancy rate with both COVID and non-COVID patients: 20%
• Occupancy of total hospital beds with COVID and non-COVID patients: 44%
• The increase in hospital admissions in relation to the previous week: on the rise, but still orange
• The rate of contagiousness of the coronavirus is on the rise, but still orange
• An increasing number of coronavirus tests are coming back positive, at a rate of 40.2%
“We will continue in Wave 1 of economic reopening,” said state Secretary of Health Mauricio Sauri Vivas. “As has been said repeatedly, being on wave 1 means that we have to focus only on going to work and buying the most essential things for our homes.”
“The restrictions on mobility will be maintained to avoid new infections and therefore there should be no social gatherings, parties or going for a walk, as the contingency continues. The use of face masks will continue to be mandatory to take care of each other,” he said.
A 58-year-old Merida woman with a medical history of hypertension, diabetes and obesity was the youngest to die. An 86-year-old Merida man with hypertension was the oldest. The average age of the deceased was 67.6.
Since the crisis began, 2,820 in Yucatan have tested positive; 2,172 of them have recovered. Active patients include 128 patients stable and isolated in their homes. The other 182 are in the hospital, seven fewer than Wednesday.
New infections included 27 in Merida; 12 in Valladolid; six in Kanasín; four in Ticul and in Umán; three in Hunucmá, Motul and Tizimín; two in Chemax, Izamal, Muna and Samahil and one each in Bokobá, Cacalchén, Homún, Kaua, Kinchil, Tekit, Ucú and Yobaín. One other newly infected patient is from abroad.
3rd police officer dies
Another Yucatan SSP police officer was killed by the virus, Sipse reported.
José Valerio Raygoza Salazar’s death follows that of agent Modesto Bacab Simá, who died on April 26, and Alberto Herrera Yama, on May 24.
