Mexico posts record 5,662 new virus cases in a day; Juárez deaths now outnumber recoveries

CIUDAD JUAREZ, Mexico — Mexico posted another record one-day increase in confirmed coronavirus cases, with 5,662, while 667 more deaths were reported Thursday.

The daily death toll has been hovering around 700 for much of this week, but the daily case load increase has usually remained below 5,000.

Mexico now has seen 19,747 confirmed coronavirus deaths and 165,455 confirmed cases.

According to the northern zone medical director, Ciudad Juárez accounted for 9 of Thursday’s new deaths and 11 of the new cases.  The cumulative total in Juárez has reached 1,928 infections and 429 fatalities.

There are 396 people in Juárez who have recovered from the virus, which has been eclipsed by the death toll in recent days.

Across all of Chihuahua state on Thursday, infections reached 3,152 and deaths tallied 541. Juárez accounts for the majority of both cases and deaths in the state, which remains on a “high alert” due to the virus’ surge there.

Officials have acknowledged that both case and death figures are under-counts because of a lack of testing and delayed results.

The Health Department said Mexico has performed only about 450,000 tests since the pandemic began. Officials, however, have given signs recently that the government may be beginning to reconsider its low-testing policy.

Officials said the country is on a plateau with few signs of decrease, even as the economy starts re-opening. This week’s string of near-record figures pose a particular challenge, because expectations have been growing that further economic openings will be announced Friday.

The government is also expected to announce an update soon on previously un-registered coronavirus deaths, in which people who died without tests could push the nationwide death toll considerably higher.