• SPREAD: Mexican health authorities reported that for the first time they have detected five cases of patients infected with coronavirus that cannot be traced back to foreign travel. This formally begins the “community spread” phase of the pandemic across the country.
• NUMBERS: Until Monday, Mexico recorded a total of 367 confirmed coronavirus cases and 4 confirmed deaths. Two of the deaths happened in Mexico City, one in the western state of Jalisco and one in the northern state of Durango. Three of them had diabetes as a preexisting condition.
• MEXICO CITY: “Due to its population size, the rate of contagion will be higher in the Mexico City metro area. Therefore, stricter measures of social distancing will be carried out there”, said Hugo López-Gatell, Mexico’s undersecretary of health, regarding the 21.5 million people megacity.
• MEASURES: The Mexican government has mandated for schools across the country to extend its Easter holiday to a one month break. Meanwhile, Mexico City has begun a closure of museums, bars, gyms, churches, community centers, and sports complexes, starting this week.
