The federal government suspends work from this Thursday

The Mexican federal government will suspend, from tomorrow, Thursday, March 26, its activities, with the exception of essential items such as safety, health, energy and cleaning services.

The Under-Secretary for Health, Hugo López-Gatell, confirmed this Wednesday the determination, a day after the health authorities announced the entry of Mexico into phase two of the COVID-19 epidemic. According to the official, each agency will determine who cannot suspend its activities.

“This measure from the government it is relatively easier to implement because the government itself decides to suspend its activities, but there are essential activities that cannot be suspended, because we need hospitals, fuels, to produce electrical energy and clean service, as well as public security, “explained López-Gatell.

“So, yes there are people who work in the government who cannot suspendBecause if they suspend, the functionality of the government is seriously affected. We start completely and then we make the exceptions. Each dependency holder will determine who cannot do it“He added.

In addition, López-Gatell indicated that, since the entry of phase 2, they asked all companies and organizations to also suspend all work involving the mobilization of people from their homes to jobsites for those who can work remotely.

Nevertheless, He recalled that private organizations cannot stop, “because we all depend on them”. But he specified that, at the end of the week, they should present continuity programs to minimize operations. ”

However, despite these measures, the President of Mexico, Andrés Manuel López Obrador, ruled out tax cuts and tax incentives for companies. “No, they are not even thinking that there will be tax exemptions or other mechanisms that were used before. If we have to rescue, Who should be rescued? to the poor. For the good of all, first the poor“He said last week.

With the federal government shutdown, practically all the activity of the three powers the state will be suspended, although not its essential activities. This is because the Congress, both the Chamber of Deputies and the Senate, and in the Judiciary the Supreme Court, the Federal Judicial Council and the Electoral Court, suspended their sessions until further notice due to coronavirus.

The Judiciary was the first to announce these measures, a week and a half ago. Further, he sent most of his workers home, where they work remotely. The lower house did the same last Friday and the Senate was added to the list on Tuesday.

The sixth coronavirus death was a 70 year old man resident of the state of San Luis Potosí. He had contact with a person who had traveled to the United States and suffered from hypertension and obesity.

There is 1,656 suspected cases and 2,445 negative cases in the country. Of the total confirmed cases, 60% are men and 40% are women. Nine out of ten people did not require hospitalization.