Mexico News Today Wednesday, December 23, 2020

 

WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 23, 2020

Study predicts January Covid cases will collapse Mexico City's hospital system    Academics predict that by the middle of next month, demand for hospital beds in the metropolitan area will be 50% higher than capacity. FULL STORY RELATED: Authorities in Morelos warned that a lockdown was imminent if anti-Covid measures were not followed. FULL STORY

Four-year housing renewal plan aims high An average of 119 homes will need to be renovated every day during the next four years to restore 175,000 abandoned social housing units. FULL STORY

US tourists swarming to Quintana Roo: numbers are up 23% from last year Locked out of other popular tourist destinations due to the coronavirus pandemic at home, travelers are flocking to the Caribbean coast state. FULL STORY Mexico won’t restrict flights from UK in light of new virus strain Authorities say the World Health Organization doesn't suggest denying Brits entry despite the new, more contagious coronavirus strain circulating in their nation. FULL STORY Capital to offer interest-free loans to small businesses now shut down by Covid Mexico City has announced an 830-million-peso (US $41.3 million) economic support package for people affected by the capital's lockdown. FULL STORY With some creativity, a Covid Christmas party can be held on the internet With authorities urging Mexicans not to gather with families and friends this holiday, many people are turning to online celebrations. FULL STORY 3 civil servants suspended after demanding bribe for payment of flood aid A video showed government employees in Tabasco not-too-subtly demanding a bribe from a flood victim. FULL STORY OPINION After a year of tragedy, peace and hope in 2021 lie in looking forward  The winter solstice was a potent metaphor in 2020 — the longest and darkest night in an extra sad and scary year — but the light follows, Sarah DeVries writes. FULL STORY MEXICO LIFE  The joy of Christmas in Mexico is learning to appreciate the unexpected As a child, Lydia Carey wanted each Christmas to be exactly like the last. But Christmases in Mexico have taught her to relish surprises, she writes. FULL STORY Logistics blamed in Covid vaccination delay Mexico did not begin inoculating health workers against Covid-19 on Tuesday after a first batch of the Pfizer vaccine did not arrive. FULL STORY Finding oxygen a challenge for families treating Covid patients at home As coronavirus cases continue to increase in Mexico City, stores that refill oxygen tanks are reporting shortages. FULL STORY Deputy health minister sees ‘holes’ in report that says government misled citizens Hugo López-Gatell has rejected the conclusions of a New York Times investigation claiming that the government hid from citizens the severity of the virus situation in Mexico City. FULL STORY ADVERTISEMENT For second consecutive year, Guanajuato leads nation in homicides Even with 2020 not yet over, the state is already Mexico's most violent for another year with 4,190 murders between January and November. FULL STORY León, Guanajuato, offers free internet on buses Bus riders can surf the internet while they ride in León, the first city in Latin America to offer free 4.5G Wi-Fi on public transit. FULL STORY MEXICO LIFE  Musical event brings opera, Christmas spirit to Ixtapa Mexican musicians performed for a concert on the beach in Zihuatanejo, bringing a feeling of Christmas in a family setting, Elisabeth Ashe writes. FULL STORY MEXICO LIFE  Mexico’s speedbumps are a noble but misguided attempt at road safety Topes try to quell Mexican drivers' love for speed by threatening to take out a car's undercarriage, Joseph Sorrentino writes. FULL STORY

Dear Reader, We're taking a short break for the Christmas holiday this week so you won't hear from us again until Monday, Dec. 28. On behalf of everyone at Mexico News Daily I wish you a very happy and safe holiday. Tony Richards Publisher