650 New Deaths, 4,916 Infections

The Ministry of Health reported 650 deaths from COVID-19 in the last 24 hours, raising the death toll to 61,450. A further 4,916 infections since yesterday were confirmed , which increased the national total to 568,621 positive cases.

During today’s briefing Director of Epidemiology José Luis Alomía said that since the beginning of the epidemic 97,632 health workers have been infected, with Mexico City reporting the highest number of cases followed by State of Mexico, Tabasco and Veracruz. Currently there are 4,370 active cases among health personnel. Over 1,320 health workers have died from the new virus, 49 percent of them doctors.

The current epidemiological traffic light has Campeche as the only state in yellow. Hidalgo, Aguascalientes, Colima, Nayarit, Zacatecas and Baja California Sur are in red light and the rest of the entities still in orange.

As of Tuesday, August 25

4,916 new cases (from yesterday)

568,621 confirmed cases nationwide

80,878   under investigation

61,450   deaths

Impact on markets (19.30 hrs)

US Dollar              MX$21.98            (-0.18%)

BMV IPC               38,249.90             (0.58%)

Dow Jones          28,248.44             (-0.21%)

Moody’s adjusts to 10 percent contraction

Moody’s adjusted its estimate of the Mexican economy for this year, as they now expect a 10 percent contraction in the GDP. In June the rating agency predicted a 7 percent drop, however they adjusted the forecasts for all G-20 countries, including Mexico.

US$320 billion lost in global tourism

The COVID-19 pandemic has devastated the global tourism industry which has lost over US$320 billion in the first five months of the year and jeopardizing more than 120 million jobs, the UN’s general secretary Antonio Guterres said. During a video briefing Guterres pointed out that tourism is the third largest sector in the global economy, and that in 2019 accounted for 7 percent of the global trade.

Vaccine effective for every strain

The antidote used in the Sinovac vaccine project is effective against different strains of COVID-19, the CEO of the Chinese company has reported. Interviewed by the state TV, Yin Weidong noted that their vaccine has given positive results against more than 20 different strains of COVID-19, coming from China the US, Europe or Middle East countries.

Sánchez Cordero warns of rise in gender violence

Confinement caused by the COVID-19 pandemic has made more visible the risks that many women face in their homes due to gender violence, Minister of Interior (SEGOB) Olga Sánchez Cordero said. “Unfortunately, women continue to be abused, beaten and raped. When one woman is assaulted, they assault us all,” she noted during her participation in the Women’s Economic Forum Iberoamerica 2020.

Global cases declined last week

COVID-19 cases and deaths declined globally during the third week of August, with America reporting the most significant reduction, the WHO has stated. New cases reported between August 16 and 23 reached 1,742,152, a 5 percent drop compared to the previous week. America was the region with the largest decline with 11 percent, followed by Africa’s 8 percent.

FDA steps back on plasma

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) head Stephen Hahn admitted Monday that the agency overstated the positive results of using plasma blood from recovered patients as a treatment for COVID-19. After US President Donald Trump stated the experimental therapy was a safe choice raising criticism, now the FDA ruled out its effectiveness.

AMIA want dialogue to provide certainty

The automotive industry in Mexico is in full post-COVID-19 pandemic recovery, said the incoming president of the Mexican Association of the Automotive Industry (AMIA) José Guillermo Zozaya. The new rules of origin of the USMCA trade treaty, the renewal of the vehicle fleet and establishing a close dialogue with the federal administration to provide certainty and confidence for investments, stand out among the priorities, said AMIA’s new head.