COVID-19 Third Wave/López Obrador Calls for Court Reform

Medicine arrival. Minister of Health Jorge Alcocer Varela announced that from Aug. 27, more than 16 million doses of medicines and medical supplies would begin to arrive in the country. “We have contemplated acquisitions of one to three months to be able to have what the Mexican population requires. We are doing well, we are attentive regarding those (medicines) that might not arrive or are not in the warehouse area stored in hospitals.” Mexico has suffered medicine shortages in the past year since moving to a new purchasing scheme.

Third COVID wave. Deputy Minister of Prevention and Health Promotion Hugo López-Gatell disputed claims of a COVID-19 epidemic among children during the ongoing third wave of contagion. “Mortality in adolescents was already very low in the second wave and continues to be very low. All these ideas that it is an epidemic of adolescents and children are not supported by evidence either in Mexico or in any other part of the world,” he said.  López-Gatell also asked pregnant women to visit any vaccination site to get a COVID-19 shot. He pointed out that they are a priority group and would receive the dose regardless of the day or place. “Vaccines are safe for pregnant women and for the child. We have seen some reluctance from women, even their doctors. They must get vaccinated; women who are 10 weeks pregnant or more: get vaccinated.”

Electoral Court of the Judiciary. President Andrés Manuel López Obrador said that the conflicts that are taking place within the Electoral Tribunal of the Federal Judicial Power (TEPJF) are proof that reform in electoral matters is needed to eliminate corruption within these organizations. “The Court is not right. They have not shown to act with rectitude, they disappointed me and I have proof. I am going to propose reform. I will present the initiative to Congress and the corresponding commissions will analyze it, consult and decide so that what is happening in the Court does not continue to happen,” López Obrador said.

López Obrador also asked senators and deputies to approve a regulatory law to allow the revocation of the presidential mandate since, “it is time for it to happen.” López Obrador has repeatedly said he would hold a referendum on his presidency next year. If the population votes against him, he has said he will resign. “Why don't they want the people to be asked?” López Obrador said. “It has to do with the people's fear of democracy. They are not Democrats; it has to do with the fact that some have not even found out that the approval of this law is necessary so that on the first Sunday in April of next year people can decide whether (I) stay or go.”

Orange traffic light. López Obrador agreed with the Head of Government of Mexico City Claudia Sheinbaum that the capital is in the “orange” stage according to the COVID-19 epidemiological traffic light system used in the country. “The important thing is that there are not so many restrictions because the truth is that it is time for us to take care of ourselves, the pandemic in some cases brought out the authoritarian desire, the purpose of imposition,” he said. The Ministry of Health warned in its technical report that, from Aug. 9 to 22, seven of the 32 states would be on a red light (maximum risk), including Mexico City; 15 would be in orange (high risk), nine in yellow (medium risk) and only one in green (low risk).

More vaccines coming. Foreign Secretary Marcelo Ebrard said that after his call with US Vice President Kamala Harris, it was agreed that the US would send 3.5 million COVID-19 vaccine doses from Moderna and up to 5 million from AstraZeneca. He also said that López Obrador would meet with US officials to discuss vaccines and border management in the afternoon.

LP gas cost. López Obrador commented that the price of complete cylinders of LP gas would be monitored together with the Energy Regulatory Commission (CREE). “I even want to thank them because they complied. Yes, there was a decrease in price, and this helps and is the most important thing to the popular economy, but also so that inflation does not skyrocket.”

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Click HERE for full transcript in Spanish