The Covid-19 case and death count reported each day by Jalisco health authorities has almost tripled in the past month, causing speculation that another draconian lockdown is not far away.
Authorities say family gatherings over the holiday period led to a surge in Covid-19 cases and deaths, despite the restrictions imposed in Guadalajara and Puerto Vallarta between December 25 and January 10.
The data makes for depressing reading.
In the past seven days (Jan. 7-13), the number of new cases diagnosed each day has averaged 1,496 – up from 609 one month ago (Nov. 9-15), with a record 1,700 cases reported on January 13. The average daily death toll between January 7 and 13 was 80, compared with 26 between November 9 and 15. The 120 deaths registered on January 8 were the highest number recorded in the state in a single day, although authorities say backlogged certifications inflated the figure.
The figures are much worse than the projections made last month by the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME), an independent global health research center at the University of Washington, which estimated Jalisco would reach its peak of daily deaths – around 50 – on February 8.
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