Health official thinks the coronavirus has peaked in Mexico

Mexico’s point man for the coronavirus pandemic said Friday that he thinks the country reached its peak of infections over the last three weeks.

Assistant Health Secretary Hugo López-Gatell had previously wrongly predicted that infections would peak in May and June, but on Friday he said, “We have now had a maximum point in the curve.”

But he also predicted that second waves of infections would continue occurring around the world for some time. “This is a phenomenon that is going to be with us in the whole world for several years,” he said.

The number of confirmed coronavirus cases in Mexico rose by 5,618 on Friday to reach 511,369. The Health Department reported 615 newly confirmed deaths from COVID-19, bringing the country’s total deaths to 55,908.

For the first time during the pandemic, Mexico declared one of its state, the Gulf coast state of Campeche, as a medium or moderate-risk area.

New infections in Campeche, one of Mexico's least populated states, have fallen to around 20 per day or less over the last week. Since the pandemic began, the state of 900,000 inhabitants has seen just over 5,000 confirmed cases and 646 deaths. The moderate-risk rating will allow more Campeche businesses to re-open.

Of the remaining states, 25 will continue under a high-risk designation and six have a maximum-risk designation, with tighter restrictions on businesses.