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MEXICO CITY (Reuters) - The new variant of the coronavirus first detected in Britain has been confirmed in northern Mexico, health officials said on Sunday, adding a new layer of concern to an already severe national outbreak.
FILE PHOTO: Paramedics wait outside the General Hospital for available hospital beds for their patients showing symptoms of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) to be admitted, in Mexico City, Mexico January 7, 2021. REUTERS/Luis Cortes
The confirmation of the especially contagious new variant of the virus marks the first time it has been found in Mexico, home to the pandemic’s forth-highest death toll globally.
The coronavirus is spreading more quickly now than at any other time in the pandemic.
The federal Health Ministry reported 107,945 new cases in the first 10 days of January, including a single-day record of 16,105 cases on Saturday.
The confirmed case tally over the 10-day period represents an 8% increase compared to the final 10 days of 2020, during which 100,179 cases were reported.
The rapid pace at which the virus is now spreading is emphasized by the fact that the single-day record for case numbers was broken on four consecutive days last week: 13,345 cases were reported last Wednesday, 13,734 on Thursday, 14,362 on Friday and 16,105 on Saturday.