MEXICO CITY, March 13 (Reuters) – Mexico could consider measures at its northern border to slow coronavirus’ spread into its relatively unaffected territory, health officials said on Friday, with an eye to containing a U.S. outbreak that has infected more than 1,800 people.
Mexico has so far confirmed 16 cases of coronavirus with no deaths, a fraction of more than 1,800 cases in the United States, where 41 people have died.
Mexico’s deputy health minister Hugo Lopez-Gatell said contagion from the United States was a threat.
“Mexico wouldn’t bring the virus to the United States, rather the United States would bring it here,” he said at a news conference “The possible flow of coronavirus would come from the north to the south.”
“If it were technically necessary, we would consider mechanisms of restriction or stronger surveillance,” he said.
U.S. President Donald Trump, meanwhile, says coronavirus bolsters his argument for blocking northbound border crossings with a U.S.-Mexico wall.
Judge Boasberg Laying Foundation to Hold Trump Administration in Contempt of Court
Anna Paulina Luna Is Right That It’s Difficult for Moms of Infants to Vote in Congress, But Her Solution Is the Wrong One
New book details Obama’s strained relationship with Democratic party: ‘Obama destroyed that s—‘
Fox News Politics Newsletter: ‘Liberation Day’ Backstory
UC Davis chancellor says violent attack on student conservative group ‘disappointing and embarrassing’
Israel Block Party at University of Texas disrupted by agitators
Despite Manifesto Full of Hate, Nashville PD’s Final Report on Covenant Shooting Comes to Its Own Conclusion
Dem senator looks to hijack key Trump budget process with tariff challenge
US shrimp industry hails ‘Liberation Day’ tariffs as saving domestic shrimpers
Army Considering Major Changes Following Hegseth Directive: Report
Trump’s China tariffs face legal challenge from conservative group calling them ‘unlawful’
South Carolina effort to mirror Trump DEI ban advances to state Senate
International Pedophile Streaming Service ‘Kidflix’ Shut Down with 1.8 Million Users
Trump Celebrates a Major Win as Jobs Report Blows Economists’ Expectations Out of the Water
Stephen Miller rips globalization as the ‘great theft of American prosperity’
Trump has long called for a wall on the Mexican border as a way to block migrants from entering the United States, and wrote on Twitter that the barrier is now needed “more than ever” as coronavirus spreads.
“To this point, and because we have had a very strong border policy, we have had 40 deaths related to CoronaVirus. If we had weak or open borders, that number would be many times higher!” Trump tweeted on Friday.
Unlike several other Latin American countries, Mexico has yet to take measures such as closing schools or banning entry to people coming from places with high numbers of coronavirus cases.
However, the private Tecnologico de Monterrey university said on Thursday it would suspend academic and classes from next week until further notice, while Mexico’s National Autonomous University (UNAM) said it would tighten preventative measures to prevent the spread of the virus.
Story cited here.