Coronavirus cases in Mexico surpass 700,000

MEXICO CITY: The country surpassed 700,000 coronavirus cases yesterday as health authorities said that the actual number is significantly higher than the official figures.

The Health Ministry yesterday reported 2,917 new cases of the coronavirus, bringing the total to 700,580 as well as a cumulative death toll of 73,697.

Deputy Health Minister Hugo Lopez-Gatell has conceded that the real number of cases in the country is significantly higher than the official figures.

The government recognises that the health system has suffered from years of neglect but says it is working to improve standards.

When 61-year-old Mexican mechanic Martin Urdiain and his wife fell ill, they chose to stay at their home in Mexico City rather than put their trust in the creaking public health system.

“He was suspicious because he saw on the news about the overflowing hospitals and poor care but in the end he felt worse and finally went,“Urdiain’s brother Alfredo told AFP.

Urdiain died on June 17, while his wife recovered without hospitalisation.

Jessica Castillo endured a week at home in Hidalgo state in central Mexico where she even had suicidal thoughts, the 43-year-old pastry chef said.

“I felt that the air I was breathing wasn’t entering my lungs but I said ‘If I go to hospital, I’ll never return.’”

Castillo, who suffers from diabetes and hypertension, said her distrust of the public health system stems from the poor care she received before the pandemic.

“I don’t believe them. They’ve hurt me a lot physically and emotionally,” she added. – Agencies