Coronavirus: Mexicans warned not to exchange Christmas gifts to help curb virus

‘Leave presents for another time,’ says president

Children greet a person dressed as Santa Claus at a drive-thru Christmas village in Ciudad Juarez (Reuters)

Christmas celebrations should be cancelled and exchanging gifts avoided to beat the coronavirus pandemic in Mexico, the country’s president said as infections reached a record high.

Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador urged people to scale down or forego traditional family gatherings over the festive period and new year, adding: “Let’s leave Christmas presents for another time.”

Mr Lopez Obrador said people should stay at home unless they had something “truly important to do”, but said there would be no mandatory lockdowns.

Mexico reported 12,127 new Covid-19 infections on Friday, a record number for a single-day rise, barring one day in October the government has said was due to a statistical blip.

It was also the first time Mexico had recorded more than 10,000 new cases three days in a row.

Mr Lopez Obrador announced hospitals would increase patient capacity, equipment and staff.

The president said his proposals to control the virus were especially important for residents of the metropolitan area of Mexico City, a vast sprawl with a population of over 20 million where the festive shopping season has already caused alarm.

On Thursday, crowds descended on Best Buy stores to look for bargains ahead of the company’s planned departure from the country, forcing stores to close temporarily.

Claudia Sheinbaum, the mayor of Mexico City, on Friday told businesses to stop employees working from offices and resume working from home.

American appliance chain Best Buy, present in the Mexican market for 13 years, will close its 41 stores in the country due to losses suffered during the pandemic (AFP/Getty Images)

Local government would cut operations to a minimum, but restaurants in the city could stay open, she said.

Mexico has recorded just over 1.15 million Covid-19 cases and almost 110,000 deaths, the fourth-highest death toll worldwide.

Officials acknowledge the true extent of the pandemic is likely significantly higher due to limited testing, and the World Health Organisation warned the country was in “bad shape”.

Hugo Lopez-Gatell, the deputy health minister, this week said the outbreak would likely get worse until January.

Additional reporting by Reuters