Mexico's new single-day record for COVID-19

Mexico posted new one-day highs for the pandemic Thursday, with 22,339 newly confirmed coronavirus infections and 1,803 deaths from COVID-19 recorded for the previous 24 hours.

The recent surge in cases has swamped hospitals. Mexico City is the country's epicentre of the pandemic, and its hospitals are at 89% capacity, while nationwide 61% of hospital beds are filled.

Health undersecretary Hugo Lopez Gatell said Friday the crisis was still accelerating.

People in Mexico City expressed concern at the latest figures.

"This is real," said public-sector worker Armando Roman as he surveyed the grim headlines at a newspaper stand. "There are a lot of people dying."

The difficulty in finding space in hospitals has led many families to try to treat their relatives at home, which has created shortages of oxygen and tanks.

That has been accompanied by a jump in prices as well as an increase in thefts targeting oxygen tanks.