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

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Mexico News Today May 20, 2020

WEDNESDAY, MAY 20, 2020

Mexico City announces gradual reopening Most coronavirus mitigation restrictions are expected to remain in place in Mexico City until June 15, Mayor Claudia Sheinbaum said, but some industries will be permitted to resume operations at the beginning of June. FULL STORY People are getting out more in 27 states as virus cases hit record More people have been leaving their homes more regularly even as the coronavirus continues to worsen: the number of new cases Tuesday was the highest ever. FULL STORY RELATED: Maintain safe distance measures, minister urges after 57 days of isolation. FULL STORY Share this email and introduce friends to Mexico News Daily Forward

Covid-19 medical workers ‘virtual kidnapping’ victims Nurses who had traveled to Mexico City from elsewhere in the country to join the fight against the coronavirus outbreak were victims of a failed extortion attempt. FULL STORY US extends border travel restrictions to June 22 The United States has announced that border restrictions between the U.S., Canada and Mexico will continue for an additional 30 days until June 22. Only essential travel is permitted. FULL STORY Jobless join the homeless in food lineup in Mexico City The economic impact of the coronavirus pandemic was on stark display in central Mexico City on Tuesday night: almost 500 people lined up for food prepared by a lay association of the Catholic church. FULL STORY Mexico City registry lists 4,500 deaths in which Covid-19 was possible cause The virus was listed as the confirmed, suspected or possible cause of death on 4,577 death certificates issued between March 18 and May 12, a figure more than four times higher than the official one. FULL STORY Human tissue, medical waste dumped in woods, depot Federal authorities announced they had found large quantities of human tissue and other medical waste dumped in woods outside Mexico City and leaky hospital bags crammed into a warehouse in Puebla. FULL STORY CDMX market vendors eligible for credits Mexico City will offer 25,000-peso loans (approximately US $1,072) to some 100,000 itinerant market vendors who have had to close their stalls due to the coronavirus. FULL STORY Hotels reopening on hold Days after the Los Cabos Hotel Association announced it was preparing for a partial opening in the popular southern Baja resort on June 1, the organization changed its mind and pushed back the date indefinitely. FULL STORY Quintana Roo rejects June 1 reopening by hotels The government has quashed the hopes of optimistic hotels that expected to reopen on June 1. 'We're still not ready,' said the governor. FULL STORY For 24-hour birria hotspot it was first closure in 11 years It seems that only a pandemic can stop Don Chuy and company from stewing the traditional birria from their native Jalisco at their Mexico City restaurant. FULL STORY Ba on alcohol sales lifted Authorities in Nayarit, Sinaloa and some southern Veracruz municipalities have ended the dry laws that halted alcohol sales and led to the proliferation of bootleg liquor that has caused over 100 hospitalizations and deaths. FULL STORY Homicide numbers decline slightly to 2,950 in April The numbers decreased 1.66% but remain at alarmingly high levels despite the coronavirus pandemic. FULL STORY Proposal to allow agency to measure everyone’s wealth meets resistance A proposal from Mexico’s ruling party to allow national statistics agency personnel to enter people’s homes and measure their wealth has been met with widespread and firm resistance. FULL STORY Nobel prize winner urges use of renewable energy Just as Mexico moves to give higher priority to electricity produced with petroleum, a Mexican Nobel Prize winner has called for fossil fuel energy generation to be phased out. FULL STORY Health service to offer cell phone updates, calls To limit the risk of Covid-19 infection, the State Workers Social Security Institute has adopted a new system to communicate with the family members of coronavirus patients. FULL STORY Can Mexico expect killer hornets? No, says scientist The hornets that have been sighted in the western United States and Canada will not make their way to Mexico, according to a biologist at the National Autonomous University. FULL STORY 1,100 crew members stranded on cruise ship in PV Despite no reported cases of the coronavirus among them, no country wants to allow them to leave the ship to return home to their families. FULL STORY Short on cash? Taking over a toll plaza can be lucrative Hijacking toll plazas has become an important source of income for many people in Mexico. Last year alone the country saw losses of revenue totaling 3 billion pesos. FULL STORY Protocols readied for reopening of restaurants Restaurants in Mexico City are preparing for “the new normal” and the strict sanitary guidelines — the mandatory use of masks and a reduced number of diners — that reopening safely will require. 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 Helping hands: expats open their hearts to support food bank Betsy McNair saw people going through the dumpster every day hoping to find food or something to sell, writes Janet Blaser. So she decided to do something about it. FULL STORY OPINION No longer a fan of Woody Allen, but still rooting for AMLO The president's vision of a typical household is basically Norman Rockwell a la mexicana, and he doesn’t seem willing to let go of it for anything, writes Sarah DeVries. FULL STORY