Juárez sees rollback of re-openings in wake of virus spike
CIUDAD JUAREZ, Mexico -- Chihuahua state officials said Monday the government is rolling back the reopening of the economy in the northern portion of the state due to dramatic increases in coronavirus cases in the city of Juárez.
The rollback restrictions put in place Monday afternoon are resulting in the immediate closure of bars and nightclubs, gyms, theaters, museums and event venues. Capacity limits are now reduced to 50% for restaurants, 30% for retails stores and 15% for churches.
The Juárez region is now listed by the Mexican government as being at "high risk" for virus spread, and the restrictions will be in place for at least the next two weeks, officials said.
Over the past several days, Juárez has seen more than 20 deaths and hundreds of new virus cases. As of Monday, Juárez had recorded a total of 8,722 cases and 912 deaths.
Secretary of Health Eduardo Fernández Herrera blamed the failure of many to wear masks and observe social distancing guidelines for the virus spike. He cited, in particular, large gatherings at shopping centers and flea markets.
"All this has caused the number of infections to increase again in recent days in an exponential way, especially in the Juárez region," he said.
For all of Chihuahua state to date, there have been a total of 17,680 virus cases with 1,506 deaths. Health officials said those in the age range of 45 to 64 account for nearly 1,100 of those virus-related fatalities.
