Both Guadalajara and Mexico City have canceled their New Year celebrations amid rising Covid-19 cases. Although Jalisco has yet to report any cases of the Omicron variant, confirmed infections increased by 21 percent between November 29 and December 29, health authorities said on Wednesday.
"In Jalisco we have always acted prudently, and taken timely decisions," Governor Enrique Alfaro said.
The Omicron infection rates in Mexico are probably misleading, health experts say. In addition to its low testing rate, Mexico does not have an advanced system that is quickly able to identify different variants. Rodrigo Jácome Ramírez, a Doctor of Science from the UNAM university in Mexico City, said this week that the number of confirmed Covid-19 cases with the Omicron variant so far (53) is “the tip of the iceberg that must exist in the country.” He, as well as other health experts, believes a “fourth wave” of transmissions of the SARS-CoV-2 virus will hit Mexico from mid to late January.
Varios studies indicate that a booster shot provides the optimum chance at preventing Omicron infection. Some also suggest that the new variant is less likely to cause hospitalization or death than its Delta counterpart.