Mexico City Among 18 States on Orange

The epidemiological traffic light for the week of June 29 to July 6 will be red for 14 states and orange for the remaining 18, Health Promotion head Ricardo Cortés reported today. “We have 18 states in orange and 14 in red. Aguascalientes and Mexico City are added to states now at orange,” he said.

The orange light allow gyms to reopen but at 50 percent of its capacity. Likewise, cinemas, theaters, shopping malls and places of religious worship can resume activities, but at 25 percent only. Massive events, concerts and recreation venues like bars and nightclubs are still closed.

In today’s briefing the Ministry of Health reported 719 new deaths from COVID-19, bringing the total to 25,779. Another major daily increase of 5,441 cases were added in today’s report, raising confirmed positive cases to 208,392.

As of Friday, June 26

5,441     new cases (from yesterday)

208,392 confirmed cases nationwide

66,440   under investigation

25,779   deaths

Impact on markets (19.30 hrs)

US Dollar              MX$22.97            (0.96%)

BMV IPC               37,431.95             (-0.80%)

Dow Jones          25,015.55             (-2.84%)

Mexico City goes orange next week

Mexico City will go from red to orange in the epidemiologic traffic light starting next week, Head of Government Claudia Sheinbaum said. “Next week we will be opening gradually, abiding by all sanitary measures. The pandemic continues,” she said. Sheinbaum noted that if hospitalization goes over 65 percent in the city, then activities must be shut down again. The same social distancing protocols, use of face masks and sanitary measures will be mandatory across sectors, ands companies must provide working space and resources for all of their employees.

Governors announce joint effort

Aiming to increase exports and strengthen the economic growth of their states, governors of Tamaulipas, Nuevo Leon, Coahuila, Durango, Michoacan, Colima, Guanajuato and Chihuahua agreed to join forces and strategies to take advantage of all USMCA trade treaty opportunities. While announcing the joint strategy the group of governors considered that President López Obrador next visit to the US will be crucial to set Mexico-s stall in the face of the regional trade agreement.

State of Mexico hospitalizations down

State of Mexico Gov. Alfredo del Mazo announced a reduction in hospitalization of 13 percent of patients with COVID-19 patients, so the move from red to orange in the sanitary traffic light system will likely go ahead. Del Mazo said last week there was a decrease in hospitalized patients of 13 percent and, prior to that, another 7 percent. State of Mexico is second entity with the most cases nationwide.

Industrial activity plunges

During April, the first full month of confinement, economic activity in Mexico contracted 17.3 percent compared to the previous month. INEGI’s Global Economic Activity Indicator is at levels not seen since 2010 as a result of the global recession, after going from 109.7 points in March to 90.7 points in April. Industrial activity fell 25.1 percent in the same period recording the greatest plunge among sectors.

Dollar close to break MX$23 barrier

The Mexican peso closed with losses against the US dollar on the last day of the week. The exchange rate was at MX$22.97 units per dollar, the worst record since last May 20, according to Banxico. The price moved in markets under pressure by the increasing numbers of COVID-19 cases in the southern US and fears of new isolations measures.