Assaults Against Health Personnel

After reports of assaults against doctors and nurses who are working with patients infected with COVID-19, Deputy Minister of Health Hugo López-Gatell said this situation is concerning and outrageous, and that the security of health personnel is a matter that must concern everyone. “We are concerned that health personnel are being assaulted. It is truly outrageous, it is very alarming that there are people who are channeling very basic feelings, such as fear,” he said in today special briefing. López-Gatell warned that those who have assaulted medical workers may be the next to contract the virus, or one of their relatives. The Ministry of Health reported 40 new deaths since yesterday, bringing the official total to 273. According to the report, Baja California Sur is the state with the highest number of cases while Chiapas has the lowest.

As of Saturday, April 10

375         new cases (from yesterday)

4,219     confirmed cases nationwide

9,982     under investigation

273         deaths

Mexico sets an example

President Andrés Manuel López Obrador said Mexicans response before COVID-19 pandemic is a lesson for the world. “People from Mexico are exemplary. We are giving the world a lesson with our behavior, let's move forward. Be confident that we are doing things professionally, with a lot of responsibility,” he said in a video message. The president stated that this weekend he did not travel to Palenque, Chiapas but instead decided to stay in Mexico City.

More security in hospitals

The Ministry of Citizen Security reinforced surveillance in hospitals and warehouses containing medical supplies in Mexico City in order to prevent assaults on medical personnel attending COVID-19 cases. In a statement, the office said police officers were deployed in six hospitals. Likewise, surveillance was increased in two Ministry of Health warehouses in Azcapotzalco and Cuauhtémoc.

IMSS report on call center

The Mexican Social Security Institute (IMSS) reported that during Phase 2 of the health emergency it has received 20,103 medical telephone calls to the toll free number 800-2222-668. “2,964 of this calls were related to COVID-19 and of these 1,171 were suspected of having the disease,” IMSS reported.