Not testing ‘irresponsible’; nearly 3,000 new Covid cases in 1 day; AMLO index to measure happiness; Mexican-made ventilator; Pemex’s dirty refineries Inbox x Mexico News Daily

FRIDAY, MAY 22, 2020

Reopening economy without Covid-19 testing is ‘irresponsible’ ex-minister of health Reopening without widespread testing will cause Mexico to 'lose control' of the pandemic for a second time, says Julio Frenk, who describes government's unwillingness to test as 'inexplicable.' FULL STORY Nearly 3,000 new Covid cases in one day; intensive care beds filling The Health Ministry reported 2,973 new cases on Thursday and more than 400 deaths as hospitals in Mexico City come under increasing pressure. FULL STORY RELATED: At 424, Wednesday’s Covid-19 deaths set a new record; total over 6,000. FULL STORY Share this email and introduce friends to Mexico News Daily Forward

‘Municipalities of hope’ list down as virus spreads The outlook is not so hopeful for at least two dozen municipalities that initially made the coronavirus-free list. FULL STORY Acapulco hospitals on point of collapse: mayor Hospitals are on the verge of collapse due to the large numbers of Covid-19 patients, the city’s mayor said. FULL STORY San Miguel de Allende to install health checkpoints The municipal council approved the placement of checkpoints at the entrances of the city and unveiled a four-phase reopening plan. FULL STORY Veracruz hospital workers battle Covid-19—and poor-quality equipment In the state's Covid-19 epicenter, workers at one hospital say they are not just battling the disease but also poor-quality personal protective equipment that places them at increased risk of infection. FULL STORY Investigation of Puerto Vallarta police urged The Jalisco Human Rights Commission has asked Mayor Arturo Dávalos to open an investigation after a video circulated on social media of police officers violently arresting a woman for not respecting coronavirus guidelines. FULL STORY Quintana Roo expects to welcome tourists June 8-10 The governor is hoping for hotels to get back to work internally on June 1 and prepare their facilities and employees for reopening a week later. FULL STORY Coffee growers lament lack of support from government  As the coronavirus pandemic has shut down both the tourism and restaurant sectors in Mexico and abroad, coffee producers in Oaxaca’s Sierra Sur region are worried about the future of an industry they say has been forgotten by the federal government. FULL STORY In 200 communities in Campeche and Yucatán, no one comes or goes The coronavirus lockdown is a serious affair in many communities in the two states: no outsiders are allowed in and almost no locals leave. FULL STORY Mexican-made ventilator ready for virus patients After a month and a half of development, biomedical engineers at the National Institute of Health Sciences and Nutrition are ready to roll out a new ventilator for the treatment of Covid-19 patients. FULL STORY Filmmakers save fund designed to support industry Mexican film industry leaders have persuaded the federal government not to touch a stimulus fund that supports film projects. FULL STORY AMLO prepares to launch new index, an indicator of happiness, well-being How happy are we? President López Obrador is preparing to launch an “alternative index” that will measure happiness and well-being in addition to economic growth. FULL STORY Worst case economic scenario: 34 million more in poverty, study predicts The coronavirus-induced economic crisis could push more than 34 million additional people – about one in four Mexicans – into poverty in a worst case scenario, according to an analysis by the research division of the bank BBVA. FULL STORY Statistics agency reports ‘significant increase’ in corruption last year The federal government’s anti-corruption agenda has succeeded in reducing people’s perceptions of the scourge but has not actually curtailed it, according to a study by the federal statistics agency Inegi. FULL STORY Five Pemex refineries are among world’s top polluters The refineries are among the 25 top polluters in the world for sulfur dioxide emissions, monitoring by NASA satellites in 2018 shows. FULL STORY Baja businesses investigated for water theft, illegal sewage discharges Government officials are investigating transnational and local companies for the theft of water in Baja California. FULL STORY Two Bengal tigers seized in Tlaquepaque, Jalisco Authorities seized the tigers from their owner after a video of men lassoing one of the big cats on a city street was posted on social media. FULL STORY Another virus outbreak but this one’s victims are rabbits While humans deal with outbreaks of the coronavirus, rabbits and hares in northwestern Mexico and the southwestern United States are suffering from a viral threat of their own. FULL STORY Mexico has 1,900 species of bees and they’re all at risk All of Mexico’s 1,900 different species of native bees are at risk of extinction, says a National Autonomous University researcher. FULL STORY Remains of more than 60 mammoths uncovered Archaeologists have found the remains at the site of the new Mexico City airport, located about 40 kilometers northeast of the capital in México state. FULL STORY THE MND POLL THE STORY: Has the National Guard failed? AMLO decrees continued policing by military FULL STORY THE QUESTION: How would you rate the federal government's security strategy? VOTE HERE LAST POLL: How likely is it that there is no longer collusion between authorities and organized crime? 75% said not a chance. VIEW FULL RESULTS

MEXICO LIFE In a scene from Indiana Jones, explorers are trapped by a snake in a cave The first caver woke it up, the second stepped right on it and the unlucky third person was left to make the apologies. John Pint (who woke it up) tells the story. FULL STORY