Mexico reports largest 1-day rise in virus cases

MEXICO CITY, Mexico — Mexico has just reported its largest one-day rise in coronavirus cases, with 2,409.

Assistant Health Secretary Hugo López-Gatell said Thursday night that the country is at “the most difficult” moment in the pandemic. It was the first time in Mexico that the number of new cases exceeded 2,000 in one day.

In percentage terms, the 6% increase was not the biggest one-day jump.

Officials also reported 257 more deaths from Covid-19, for a total of 4,477 since the pandemic began. There have been higher one-day death tolls this week.

López-Gatell said there are “tendencies of decline” in some parts of the country. But there also are signs that hospital capacity is nearing its limit in Mexico City, the country’s hardest-hit area.

The increase in cases comes four days before Monday’s scheduled partial reopening of key industries such as mining, construction and automobile assembly.

In Ciudad Juárez, officials earlier Thursday reported that virus deaths and hospitalizations each outnumber recoveries as the peak nears in Chihuahua state.