39.9 Overall Score (down 1.1 since Aug 1st.)

Mexico

  • 61.5 Public Health
    Directives
  • 20 Financial
    Response
  • 68 Fact-Based
    Communication
  • 61.5 Public Health
    Directives
  • 20 Financial
    Response
  • 68 Fact-Based
    Communication

Mexico's score has deteriorated over time, due primarily to its extremely weak financial response and relatively weak public health policy, including very limited testing.

Pre-COVID Conditions

Low numbers of hospital beds and poor access to quality healthcare resulted in Mexico being poorly prepared for COVID-19.

  • Debt/GDP ratio 35.4%
  • GDP/capita $21,363
  • Gini coefficient (out of 100) 45.4
  • Infant mortality rate (out of 1,000 live births) 11
  • Healthcare access score (out of 100) 62.6
  • Hospital beds/1,000 People 10.2

Government Response

Select a data point for more information
(Data points represent policy level as of Jan 1.)
61.5

Public Health Directives

Mexico’s relatively strong health policy score was driven down by extremely limited testing.

  • Stay at home order 2
  • Public gathering restrictions 3
  • School closings 3
  • Public event cancellations 2
  • Testing policy 1
  • Emergency healthcare investments/capita $56.93
  • Travel restrictions 1
  • Tests/1,000 people 25.3
  • Contact tracing 1
20

Financial Response

Mexico had a relatively weak financial response score, with extremely limited stimulus, and little income or debt support.

  • Financial stimulus as share of GDP 2%
  • Income support 1
  • Debt forebearance 2
68

Fact-Based Communication

President Lopez Obrador has consistently downplayed the threat of COVID-19, accusing the media of exaggeration, encouraging Mexicans not to succumb to fear, and publicly flaunting social distancing recommendations.

  • Reliance on science/fact based information 1
  • Press freedom 1

COVID-19 Status as of Jan 1

Mexico has a very poor score for country status, as its death rate is high, and its positivity rate is extremely high, meaning it may only be testing the sickest people and missing many positive cases.

  • Total deaths 126,507
  • Death rate per 100K 981.2
  • Total cases 1,437,185
  • Cases per 100K 11,147
  • Percent of positive tests 43
  • Change in positivity rates 0
Case Trend Line
Daily cases Level 1 Lockdown Level 2 Lockdown
Date Status New Cases/1M
1 Apr 13 Those who can't telework are allowed back to work (especially those in construction and manufacturing) 2.85
2 May 18 300 municipalities are allowed to start reopening; automotive, construction, and mining sectors reopen 16.96
3 Jun 01 Restrictions begin easing, based on the situation in each state (green/yellow/orange/red coding) 24.74

Differentiating Factors

Compared with Other Western Hemisphere Countries
  • 36.2
    United States 20,184,236
    Cases     60,979
    Per 1M     347,901
    Deaths

    Still battling widespread COVID-19 cases and deaths, which were exacerbated by the former administration's limited use of facts and science, limited emergency healthcare spending, and limited debt relief, the Biden administration, by contrast, is taking aggressive action to combat the virus, although it may take time for the score to reflect these changes.

  • 49.7
    Brazil 7,700,578
    Cases     36,228
    Per 1M     195,411
    Deaths

    Brazil has a relatively weak score, primarily due to its poor public health policies, especially its very low levels of testing, coupled with President Bolsonaro’s spreading of misinformation about the virus.

  • 59.2
    Canada 585,400
    Cases     15,511
    Per 1M     15,644
    Deaths

    Canada has a relatively strong score, with poor public health policy countered by a continued reliance on fact-based communication.

  • 85.3
    Argentina 1,629,594
    Cases     36,056
    Per 1M     43,319
    Deaths

    Argentina’s strong policy score is mainly due to its strong political response, characterized by clear, fact-based communication and regular press briefings by President Fernandez.

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New Zealand

Statistics and government response factors available on each country profile include:

Pre-COVID Conditions:

  • Debt to GDP ratio
  • Infant mortality rates
  • Hospital beds per 1,000 people
  • Gini coefficients measuring inequality
  • Health access and quality

COVID-19 Public Health Directives:

  • Stay-at home orders
  • School-closing policy
  • Public-gathering restrictions
  • Cancellation of public events
  • Testing policy and rates per 1,000 people
  • Emergency healthcare spending per capita
  • Travel restrictions
  • Contact tracing

COVID-19 Financial Response:

  • Stimulus package as a share of GDP
  • Income support
  • Debt-forbearance

Public Communications:

  • Instances of misinformation by leadership
  • Limitations on press freedom, censorship

Current/Historic In-Country COVID-19 Status:

  • Death rates per 1 million
  • Case rates per 1 million