Chihuahua health officials won’t bring back face mask mandate, for now

CHIHUAHUA, Mexico -- Health officials in the state of Chihuahua decided against bringing back the mandatory face mask mandate on Wednesday.

State health authorities were considering whether to bring back the requirement after they saw a rise in Covid-19 cases and other respiratory illnesses across the state.

The Chihuahua health department reported a 68 percent increase of Covid-19 cases compared to this week before - more than 600 cases in a single week. Health officials decided they would need to see more than 1,500 cases a week before considering bringing back the indoor mask mandate.

Residents of Juárez ABC-7 spoke to said they favored bringing back the mandate in order to protect the public as the temperatures continue to drop and respiratory illnesses become a bigger concern.