Mexico surpasses India in coronavirus death toll

Mexico’s total coronavirus death toll reached past that of India’s on Thursday, making it the third-highest in the world, according to The New York Times.

Mexico has recorded nearly 155,100 deaths related to the coronavirus since the start of the pandemic. That number is only about 66,000 fewer than the confirmed death toll in Brazil, the hardest-hit country in the world apart from the United States, a New York Times database shows.

The Times reported that Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador has faced backlash for his slow response to the virus, which eventually led to a government scramble in order to attempt to control its spread.

Hospitals across the country have experienced strain as a result of the pandemic, with many reporting shortages in beds and ventilators.

More than 1.8 million coronavirus cases have been reported in Mexico so far, and that caseload has surged since December. More than 16,300 new cases daily have been reported in the country within the last week, the Times reported.

López Obrador just announced on Sunday that he too has tested positive for the virus. 

“The symptoms are mild but I am already under medical treatment. As always, I am optimistic. We will all move forward,” he said at the time.