Delta threatens US vaccine progress, Mexico avoids ‘authoritarian measures’

Madrid Desk, Jul 27 (EFE).- Fears over the spread of the delta coronavirus variant are pushing companies in the United States to reconsider the return of employees to offices.

While the US has fully vaccinated almost half of its population, the pace of inoculation is slowing dramatically, raising concerns that the delta variant could outpace the vaccine rollout.

Last week saw a sharp rise in infections, with new cases rising by 47% compared to the previous week.

Just a few weeks after restrictions were eased, some companies have decided to delay the return of their employees to the workplace due to the delta variant.

Many cities are also considering forcing municipal employees to be vaccinated.

The severity of the pandemic varies across much of the rest of the continent, which is currently the most affected by Covid-19 with 76 million cases and some 1.9 million deaths.

In Mexico, which last week registered more than 15,000 new daily cases for four consecutive days, president Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador said there was no need to “exaggerate with authoritarian measures.”

“In our country there was no curfew, there were no drastic measures, not even in the worst moments,” the president said.

Mexico City governor Claudia Sheinbaum echoed those words, saying that shutting down the economy “was no longer an option, even as the pandemic continues to affect us. What we need to do is step up the pace of vaccinations and learn to take care of ourselves.”

Cuba registered more than 8,000 new cases for the second day in a row on Monday, the highest figure since the start of the pandemic in March 2020.