Mexico enters the most serious phase of the spread of the global pandemic COVID-19 after cases in the country surpassed 9,000.

On Tuesday, Mexican health officials reported more than 700 confirmed cases, bringing the tally to 9,501. They also registered 145 deaths to reach a total of 857 coronavirus-related fatalities.

Experts believe the real number to be considerably higher than reported as Mexico has limited its testing capacity. Deputy Health Minister Hugo Lopez-Gatell said the government's mathematical model, Sentinel Surveillance, estimated there were more than 55,000 cases across the nation.

The third coronavirus phase will reportedly aim to further reduce the people's movement in public spaces. Health authorities urge the public to follow the strict government-provided social distancing guidelines to prevent the country's health care system from collapsing.

Lopez-Gatell announced the new alert level during Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador's daily morning news conference. Phase 3, he said, signals the rapid spread of the virus where a large number of infections and hospitalizations are recorded.

Mexico's leftist leader AMLO promised that he will not enforce "authoritarian" policies other countries have implemented.


Extended Restrictions

The Mexican government extended its COVID-19 restrictions until May 30 to curb the spread of the virus. It is expected the lockdown policies will begin to ease up at the start of June if the current measures succeed.

The health minister emphasized all strategies are designed to mitigate rather than completely eradicate the virus. He believes extinguishing the pandemic would need "freezing" the country for years, a process that would lead to an economic collapse.


Factory Shutdowns


Mexican authorities recently ordered 14 U.S.-owned maquiladoras in the Chihuahua state after violating COVID-19 restrictions.

The Labor Ministry closed down several factories on Monday after workers voiced their concerns about health and security after they were made to work in factories that were deemed non-essential.

Juarez, a border city, had the most number of shutdowns. The city has been hard hit by the virus, with over 121 confirmed cases and 32 deaths as of Tuesday. Health officials also reported a 26 percent mortality rate in the city compared to the 6 percent reported worldwide.

Federal inspectors determined the factories were not producing essential products despite the managements' insistence. They were also performing non-essential duties for the business.

Juan Carlos Loera, a ranking federal government official, said the factories are still required to comply with all the necessary preventive measures outlined by the government even if they are conducting essential work.

Loera did not identify the plants involved in the shutdown. He also refused to give a specific number of workers that were sent home.

Over 100 U.S.-run production plants in Juarez voluntarily suspended their operations before Monday due to the COVID-19 threat. Most of the plants made arrangements so their workers would still receive a portion of their salary during the furlough.

The U.S. ambassador to Mexico voiced concerns over the shutdowns, saying the closures will impact supply chains and the flow of goods where three North American nations rely on for business.

"If we don't coordinate our response, these chains can evaporate," he said.


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