14 cases confirmed as state restricts access to all public areas, rural communities consider blockades
CAMPECHE Campeche (Times Media Mexico) – Confirmed cases of the new Coronavirus Covid-19 have jumped to 14 in the State of Campeche, as Governor Carlos Miguel Aysa González announces the closure of all public spaces and tensions rise in rural communities related to accessibility and possible spread of the infection.
Although the number of confirmed cases remains low in a national and international framework, limited rates of testing and hazy communication by local authorities has a local population on edge in Campeche, especially in rural communities which have seen a recent influx of family members from out-of-state due to workers returning home for the Easter period, or because of isolation measures or redundancies.
Communities across the state such as those at Villa Madero are petitioning authorities to seal off or at least aggressively monitor primary and secondary access routes to towns and villages, with potential ramifications for transport of essential products and – more worryingly – local militancy emerging at flashpoints in areas which have a history of vigilante outbreaks.
The Governor has urged local, state and federal authorities to increase patrols across public areas and return citizens to their homes, arguing that restrictive measures are necessary to limiting the accelerated spread of the new Coronavirus.
Meanwhile, the economic shutdown is generating a deep worry among business owners, workers and local authorities, who worry that the pandemic has led to an economic crisis the state and its citizens can ill afford.
