GENERAL SITUATION IN MEXICO
Weekly Review # 51 I April 21, 2021
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CONFIRMED CASES: 2,306,910
NEW CASES REPORTED: 1,308
DEATHS: 212,466
ACCUMULATED DEATHS PER DAY
SOURCE: https://www.gob.mx/salud/
DISTRIBUTION OF DEATHS PER STATE DUE TO THE PANDEMIC
Information updated on April 19 2021, at 19:00 hrs local time.
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INCREASE OF CONFIRMED CASES SINCE THE FIRST REPORT MAP WITH THE DISTRIBUTION OF THE INCIDENCE RATE OF ACCUMULATED CASES OF COVID-19 BY ENTITY OF RESIDENCE.
National rate 1788.68
0 to 500 (1 states) 501 to 1,000 (5 states) 1,001 to 1,500 (11 states) 1,5001 to 2,000 (6 states) >2,000 (9 states)
Elaborated by Prodensa with information from the Health Ministry of Mexico
PANDEMIC’S SITUATION IN THE WORLD • As of April 19 2021, globally there have been reported confirmed 141,057,106 cases (724,720 new cases) of COVID-19 and 3,015,043 deaths ((10,955 new deaths*). Lethal rate: 2.1%. • In the last 14 days, the number of new cases accounts for 7% (9,618,465) of the total of accumulated cases. *https://www.who.int/docs/default-source/coronaviruse/situation-reports/20200323-sitrep-63-covid-19.pdf?sfvrsn=d97cb6dd_2
SOURCE: https://www.gob.mx/salud/
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TOWARDS THE “NEW NORMAL” INCIDENTS OF CONTAGIONS IN THE POPULATION BY REGION AS OF APRIL 19
DEATH INCIDENTS IN POPULATION BY REGION AS OF APRIL 19
SOURCE: https://www.gob.mx/salud/
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TOWARDS THE “NEW NORMAL”
The traffic light will be as follows:
SOURCE: https://www.gob.mx/salud/
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KEY POINTS OF PRESIDENT ANDRES MANUEL LOPEZ OBRADOR’S Morning Press Conference April 14-20, 2021
HEALTH PULSE Dr. Hugo Lopez Gatell, Undersecretary of Health, mentioned that, although there have been eleven weeks of a downward trend, an increase in cases has been identified since April 11. He made a call warning to maintain sanitation measures. He also listed the states that have shown an upward trend: Baja California Sur, Chihuahua, Mexico City, Colima, Durango, State of Mexico, Morelos, Nayarit, Quintana Roo and Tlaxcala. VACCINATION PLAN President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador reiterated that the commitment to vaccinate all older adults in April with at least the first dose will be fulfilled. Likewise, the President informed that the vaccination of all teaching personnel in public and private sectors will begin. Regarding the possible date for starting vaccination in the 40 to 49-year-old age groups, the Undersecretary of Health indicated that it might occur in the second week of June. CANCELLATION OF THE ASTRAZENECA VACCINE The President reported that according to the data of experts available to him, the benefit of the vaccine is much greater than the possible adverse reactions. He announced that the vaccine that will be adminis-
SOURCE: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCxEgOKuI-n-WOJaNcisHvSg
tered to him will be AstraZeneca and will be during a morning conference. The cases of complications are 31 for AstraZeneca. In total, for all the vaccines applied so far from all the laboratories, only 177 serious cases have been reported. Therefore, the application of any of the vaccines will not be suspended. FOREIGN AFFAIRS APPOINTMENTS The President informed that he will propose Jesus Seade as Mexico’s ambassador to China and Lilia Rossbach Perez Gay as the country’s ambassador to Argentina.
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KEY POINTS OF PRESIDENT ANDRES MANUEL LOPEZ OBRADOR’S Morning Press Conference April 14-20, 2021 MEETING WITH JOE BIDEN The President mentioned that next Thursday, he will have a virtual meeting with the United States President, Joe Biden. Lopez Obrador said that he will propose that the “Sembrando Vida” program could be extended to Central America to create up to 1,400,000 jobs, investing 1,400 million dollars. He anticipated that he will propose that the beneficiaries of the “Sembrando Vida” in Central America program could also be beneficiaries of temporary 6-month work visas in the United States, which will prevent uncontrolled migration and their children being exposed to danger. COMMERCIAL INTEGRATION IN NORTH AMERICA The President pointed out that there must be an opening with clear rules and integration on the part of the United States under terms of equality and respect for sovereignty. “Capital and technology are not enough; the workforce is necessary and essential. Unity means growing as a domestic market”. He stressed that many Americans also think that a productive and social alliance is necessary to strengthen the American continent.
VISIT OF VICE PRESIDENT KAMALA HARRIS Regarding the announcement of the visit by the official Kamala Harris, the President reported that they still do not have all the details regarding dates and agenda. He recalled that he invited her to visit the southern border entities such as Campeche, Chiapas, and Tabasco to learn about the situation of migrants and local Mexicans first-hand.
SOURCE: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCxEgOKuI-n-WOJaNcisHvSg
ENERGY SELF-SUFFICIENCY The President stressed that by 2023 the purchase of gasoline from abroad will stop, and all the gasoline that is needed will be processed in Mexico. He mentioned that progress is being made without corruption and that there will be enough fuel to cover all the demand for gasoline and diesel. He affirmed that the refineries are being rehabilitated, and the construction of plants at the Tula refinery is about to restart.
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VACCINATION PROGRESS
As of April 19th, 14,368,074 doses had been applied. From this, 3,927,307 have the complete scheme (2 doses). 10,290,867 elderly citizens have been vaccinated with one dose. 22,934 doses had been applied to teachers. As of now, 18,887,345 doses have been received. Dr. Alcocer, Secretary of Health, informed that on April 20th, vaccination for teachers of public and private schools will begin. Cansino vaccine will be applied as it is only one dose and doesn’t need high refrigeration levels. It is expected to vaccinate all teachers in Mexico by May 28th. The elderly population will have at least one dose by the end of April, and in May, the next age group (50 and older) will start the vaccination process. Amid critics for not providing vaccines to the private sector, Undersecretary Gatell informed that public health workers treated the majority of COVID cases. Therefore, their private sector was not considered.
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MEASURES TAKEN BY STATES IN MEXICO
BAJA CALIFORNIA Continuing in the medium risk tier or yellow traffic light, Baja California´s Health Secretary reported that there are currently 326 confirmed COVID-19 cases, with a small decrease from last week, mainly in the cities of Mexicali, Ensenada, and San Quintin. Hospital occupancy is now at 24.68%, with 596 hospital beds available and 230 available respirators. According to the last cut on April 20th, 250,071 adults over 60 years old have been vaccinated, and the second doses are also being applied. There are 10 vaccination points in Mexicali, Tijuana, Tecate, Ensenada, and Rosarito. Because of the increase in COVID-19 cases in recent weeks, State Government decided to implement new restrictions to certain sectors, including a 50% capacity to hotels, restaurants, coffee shops, casinos, and outdoor dining. Nightclubs and event saloons remain suspended.
SONORA Remaining on the medium-risk tier or yellow traffic light, Sonora has seen an improvement in some municipalities from last week, now with 5 cities considered low risk and going to 120 hospitalized patients, down from 135 the previous week. It was also reported that 72 patients are considered acutely ill and 20 critical patients using respirators. There were also reported 60 new confirmed cases and 1 patient from the municipality of Cajeme that lost his life in the last 24 hours. The vaccination campaign has continued in most cities along with the state, with Pfizer, Sinovac, and Cansino vaccines being applied to adults 60 years and older in the municipalities of Guaymas, Cananea, Agua Prieta, San Luis Rio Colorado, Cumpas, Nacozari, Imuris, Plutarco Elias Calles, Santa Ana, Nogales, Magdalena, Caborca, and Hermosillo.
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MEASURES TAKEN BY STATES IN MEXICO
COAHUILA The Government of Coahuila is getting ready to start with the vaccination against COVID-19 of 82 thousand people who make up the school population in the entity. It is expected to finish in five days as of April 20. Governor Miguel Riquelme Solis mentioned that there will be nine locations in the entity where the CanSino vaccine will be applied, which only requires one dose. Only in the case of Saltillo and Torreon there will be two locations.
TAMAULIPAS As of Tuesday, April 20, the anti-covid vaccination will begin for teachers in Tamaulipas, both in the public and private sectors, so that between May 13 and 15, face-to-face classes can start formally. NUEVO LEON The Nuevo Leon Health Secretariat reported that in 8 of the 51 municipalities of the entity, no new cases of COVID-19 had been reported in the last 15 days. The municipalities with no infections are: Abasolo, Aramberri, China, Iturbide, Los Aldama, Los Herrera, Los Ramones and Vallecillo. However, the government acknowledged a gradual increase in infections that have occurred as a result of the Easter holidays.
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MEASURES TAKEN BY STATES IN MEXICO
AGUASCALIENTES Governor Martin Orozco Sandoval pointed out that more than 35 thousand teachers from Aguascalientes will be vaccinated against COVID-19 in five or six days as of April 28, the date on which the education sector inoculation day will start in the entity. “Today we have great news ... the teachers’ vaccination is undoubtedly already a fact,” the Governor celebrated after the Federal Government presented the immunization calendar for education personnel, which runs from April 28 to May 4. He affirmed that without a doubt, “we will return to the classrooms,” which, in addition to the educational issue, will
contribute to reactivate various sectors of the economy. “Something that we have been insisting on in recent months, that it is time to return to classes, that it is time for children from preschool to higher education to return to have this contact between their own classmates, we can recover what we have undoubtedly lost in the academic part, we will return to socialize, for all the effects that it entails in emotional issues in the family.” He stressed that with the strength and experience of the state health sector, more than 35 thousand people from the teachers’ union will receive protection against the virus in a period of six days.
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MEASURES TAKEN BY STATES IN MEXICO
GUANAJUATO In Guanajuato, vaccination against COVID-19 includes not only teachers but also administrative and support personnel. It is expected to apply more than 135 thousand doses to the education sector, as detailed in the Ministry of Education of the State Jorge Hernandez. “The measurement that was made of the 135 thousand 547 doses is a statistic originated by 911, which is the official statistic of public and private school teachers. As the Governor announced and said it with the entire educational community in mind, it is also being thought in the support and administrative areas that are an important part of the operation of a school.” According to official data from the Secretary of Education, between the public and private sectors, there are in general terms 85 thousand teacher positions. The remaining 50 thousand correspond to support personnel. The objective is to shield as many personnel as possible which directly contact and coexist with the students. “There are 85 thousand teachers on average, plus the rest of the educational structures that participate, there are 135 one thousand vaccines that
are officially the 911 registry, which is the basis for determining the number of vaccines.” According to the Calendar of the Federal Government’s Ministry of Health, the vaccination of educational personnel will be from May 5 to 11, in Guanajuato and seven other states of the republic: Colima, Morelos, Michoacan, San Luis Potosi, Durango, Sonora, and Guerrero. Regarding the operation for the application of the biological, this will be very similar to the one that has been developed for the elderly. It still remains to be defined which will be the macro-centers for vaccination arranged in the 46 municipalities of the entity and the order of app. Today Guanajuato proposes piloting in the second stage with primary and secondary education to test the protocols of the educational models, contexts, and needs and strengthen them so that a comprehensive return to the classrooms is given as soon as they are optimal. This action is also the support we have had with the State Ministry of Education for the pilot tests in 3 schools of upper-middle and higher education.
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MEASURES TAKEN BY STATES IN MEXICO
JALISCO Jalisco’s Ministry of Health confirmed 389 new confirmed cases, reaching 241 thousand 807 accumulated cases of the COVID-19 disease in the entity. Also, a death was reported in the entity with a total of 11,590 deaths during the health contingency that continues more than a year after the containment measures have been implemented. Deaths are concentrated in metropolitan municipalities such as Guadalajara (4,433), Zapopan (1,724), Tlaquepaque (929), Tonala (587) and Tlajomulco de Zuñiga (587). On April 20, began the vaccination day for older adults in Tonala who will receive the second dose of the biological against COVID-19. For its part, the Jalisco Ministry of Health reiterated that this time the vaccine will only be applied to those who come for their second dose, so it will be required to show proof of the first vaccine and the INE credential.
QUERETARO In Queretaro, the second dose vaccination day against COVID-19 for adults over 60 years of age is advancing, an action aimed at compliance with the National Vaccination Plan, whose objective is to provide total protection to this sector of the population, reported the Roadrunner Brigade in the extraordinary session of the State Vaccination Committee (COEVA). The session was attended by representatives of the Roadrunner Brigade, made up of the National Defense Secretariat and the Welfare Secretariat. Together with the State Secretariat of Health, the Mexican Institute of Social Security (IMSS), and the Institute of Social Security and Services for State Workers (ISSSTE), they reported on the progress of the inoculation strategy for the adult population higher in his second dose in follow-up to the National Vaccination Plan.
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MEASURES TAKEN BY STATES IN MEXICO
STATE OF MEXICO There has been a slight increase in contagions and deaths. Therefore the traffic light will remain orange for another week. Coordination between Mexico City is carried out to vaccinate the elderly population and start the vaccination process with teachers.
CDMX In Mexico City, it is estimated that there are up to 450 thousand education workers at all levels, including teachers, managers, and administrative staff, who could be vaccinated within a week, said the head of the government. Also, informed that there are no conclusive elements that indicate that the third wave of COVID-19 could occur in the capital, reiterated that the city will remain in orange traffic light for another week. However, the Secretary of Health mentioned that there had been an increase in cases and deaths registered in the last week.
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MANUFACTURING INDUSTRY SENATE APPROVES THE OUTSOURCING REFORM With 110 votes in favor, one against, and one abstention, the Senate of the Republic approved the reserved articles of the ruling that reforms 8 laws regarding the regulation of outsourcing. The ruling to reform outsourcing in Mexico, which has already been sent to the Federal Executive for its constitutional process, modifies the Federal Labor Law, the Social Security Law, the Law of the National Workers’ Housing Fund Institute, the Federal Tax Code, the Income Tax Law, the Value Added Tax Law, the Federal Law of Workers in the Service of the State, Regulatory of Section B) of Article 123 of the Constitution and the Regulatory Law of Section XIII Bis of Section B, of Article 123 of the Constitution. With this reform, a change in outsourcing is introduced so that companies can only use this model in the case of specialization. Organizations that have personnel hired through this figure will have three months to make direct hiring of their entire workforce; otherwise, they may be subject to fines.
Amongthemainchangesare:prohibitingthesubcontracting of personnel, understood as when an individual or legal entity provides or makes available its own workers for the benefit of another; allowing the subcontracting of specialized services or the execution of specialized works that are not part of the main economic activity of the beneficiary of such services, provided that the contractor is registered in a registry of the Ministry of Labor and Social Welfare. Likewise, subcontracting companies seeking registration with the Ministry of Labor and Social Welfare must be up to date with their tax and social security obligations. Those who perform and irregularly provide subcontracting services must be severely sanctioned both administratively and criminally. In presenting the ruling, Senator Napoleon Gomez Urrutia, Chairman of the Labor and Social Welfare Commission, argued that with the approval of the ruling, a transcendental step would be taken to avoid tax evasion through this simulation system. Furthermore, he stated, it will eradicate the inequality and poverty to which Mexican workers have been subjected.
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GOOD NEWS MEXICO’S PRESIDENT TOUTS ‘NO RISKS’ AS HE RECEIVES THE ASTRAZENECA VACCINE. Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador received the AstraZeneca shot against COVID-19 on Tuesday, urging trust in vaccines after several countries limited the use of AstraZeneca due to suspected links to rare blood clots. Lopez Obrador, 67, has said the benefits of getting inoculated outweighed the risks of the low-cost shot, which is a core pillar of Mexico’s vaccination strategy.
The committee has said an alternative to AstraZeneca should be given to people under 30 where possible.
Ahead of rolling up his sleeve for the shot at the end of his regular daily news conference, Lopez Obrador said he wanted to encourage all older adults to get their shots to be protected from the coronavirus.
Mexico began vaccinations late last year and has so far fully inoculated nearly 4 million people, most of whom are adults over 60, out of a total population of 126 million.
“We’re sure there is no risk, no danger, that there are no serious side effects,” he said, without specifically naming AstraZeneca.
Officials plan to soon roll out vaccinations for adults over 50 and teachers, just as infection rates in 10 states start to trend higher following Easter week celebrations.
He added that his government is tracking vaccine studies being carried out worldwide. Lopez Obrador said he would sit for 20 minutes after receiving the jab, as recommended by a healthcare worker who administered the shot to the President on live television and social media. “It didn’t hurt,” Lopez Obrador said. “Right now, I’m feeling very good.” Mexico’s health regulator said earlier this month that it did not plan to limit the use of the two-shot vaccine developed by Oxford University and AstraZeneca but was looking into information from Britain’s vaccine advisory committee.
SOURCE: REUTERS
Mexico, as of February, had agreed to buy 77.4 million AstraZeneca doses, making the drugmaker its top vaccine provider. It will also receive AstraZeneca shots through the COVAX vaccine-sharing program, which will supply a total of 51.5 million doses from various manufacturers. Additionally, Mexico has agreed to bottle AstraZeneca shots using vaccine material produced in Argentina, with an initial supply of 150 million doses to be distributed in Latin America. In March, a Mexican official said that the first doses were expected to be shipped the first week of May.
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EHS
RECOMMENDATIONS PEOPLE YOU COME INTO CONTACT WITH DURING TRAVEL COVID-19 is mainly spread through close contact with another person, so the closer you are to others, the more people you contact, and the longer that contact lasts, the more likely COVID-19 will spread. Safer * Contact with just members of your household. * Contact with just fully vaccinated people. Less Safe * Close contact with people who are not from your household * Close contact with unvaccinated people
DAVID ANTUNEZ Environmental, Health, and Safety Director.
Avoid * Crowds
BASIC PROTECTIVE MEASURES AGAINST COVID-19
1 2 3 4 5 Wash your hands frequently with soap and water for 20 seconds.
When coughing or sneezing, cover your nose and mouth with a disposable tissue or use the inside corner of your arm.
Avoid shaking hands and kissing.
Keep your workspace clean and don't share personal items and utensils.
If you show symptoms of a cold or flu, go to a doctor. Do not self-medicate and inform your supervisor and Human Resources department.
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REMOTE WORK On April 30 expires the deadline set by the Ministry of Public Administration for the entities and agencies of the federal administration to promote remote work. The more entities turn green, the greater the number of workplaces, both public and private, that are calling for a one hundred percent face-to-face return to the office. Given this call to return to the offices but with the possible risk of a third wave of contagions, companies are called upon not to relax measures and to wait, even if the federal traffic light indicates low risk (green traffic light), before calling all employees to work in the workplace, especially those who can continue working remotely.
ALVARO GARCIA HR, Vice President
REPUTATION IS KEY TO BUSINESS CONTINUITY. WHAT ARE THE EFFECTS OF DIGITAL REPUTATIONAL DAMAGE?
YOELLE ROJAS Public Affairs & Communications Director
PUBLIC AFFAIRS
LABOR
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