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Cancun and the state of Quintan Roo have been seeing a slow but progressive increase in COVID cases during the past few weeks, and more than 100 cases were reported in the past 24 hours. Although public health officials say the situation remains relatively calm and that hospitalizations are low, local authorities are reminding residents and tourists to follow basic health precautions to prevent further spread.
Since early June, health officials have been reporting a consistent rise in new infections, a trend that is likely to continue over the following weeks as new variants emerge in Europe. The public health monitoring service UNAM says that Quintana Roo is reporting the 10th highest average number of new COVID cases in the country.
Two weeks ago saw a total of 376 reported new cases in Quintana Roo. Meanwhile, last week’s epidemiological update notified 578 new cases in the area, giving a growth rate of 53%. The figures are in line with those seen in other states including Ciudad de Mexico and Yucatan. As a result of the recent rise in case numbers, the Mexican government has decided it would resume daily updates in order to closely monitor the situation. For the time being, only 1-3% of hospital beds are being used to treat COVID patients.
Despite lower infection numbers during the spring, Quintana Roo authorities have been warning about possible new surges over the summer. With the recent rise in infections, these concerns may materialize, although officials say that COVID is here to stay. As Mexico potentially heads into a fresh wave of infections, health authorities say that the country’s generally successful vaccination campaign will help protect people from serious forms of the disease.
According to the National Secretary for Health, Quintana Roo’s positivity rate, as well as reported infections, are steadily rising. However, this hasn’t led to increased hospitalizations in the state. Moreover, local clinics have contingency plans in place, and vaccinations are widely available.
Despite COVID becoming an endemic disease worldwide, authorities say that some basic preventive measures should remain in place. Such measures include the use of a face-covering mask in certain public places, social distancing, frequent hand washing as well as ventilating crowded spaces. The recent increase in international travel means that tourists visiting the sunny destination should also keep in mind that COVID is still circulating among the population.
Despite the worrying trend, Mexican authorities appear calm and confident in the country’s ability to handle further surgery. Hugo López-Gatelll, sub secretary for the prevention and promotion of health, says that new cases will continue appearing across the country. He says that the gradual relaxation of measures – such as the obligatory use of face masks, removed around a month ago – as well as the increase in travel figures, may partially explain the recent uptick in COVID cases.
Taking into account that COVID is unlikely to disappear and that most Mexicans are vaccinated, no new restrictions are on the agenda for the time being. According to López-Gatell, Mexico, just like a number of international organizations such as WHO, as well as other countries, consider COVID to be endemic. Likewise, he states that Covid-19 is here to stay, as new waves come and go. Authorities in Mexico will rely on the country’s vaccination program as well as basic sanitary and hygienic recommendations to respond to further COVID cases.
Quintana Roo has seen a total of 93,000 cases of COVID since the pandemic began, whereas Mexico has registered over 5,7 million total cases. Meanwhile, 325,000 people have died as a result of the disease in the country.
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