Both cities see record highs of coronavirus cases
Falling in line with record novelcoronavirus case levels in Arizona and Sonora, the adjoining border cities of Nogales, Arizona and Nogales, Sonora are seeing rapidly increasing coronavirus cases.
Arizona-Sonora cases
Arizona announced a record high case count of 3593 new cases yesterday, for a total of 58,179 cases in the state.
Nogales, Arizona’s Santa Cruz county, with a population of 47,000, accounted for 1521 of those cases.
The state of Sonora, Mexico also set a record for the number of new cases yesterday. Sonora had 412 new cases, and increase of 6.0 percent. There are 7306 total confirmed coronavirus cases in Sonora.
Nogales, Sonora
Nogales, Sonora has the third-highest number of cases in Sonora (behind the municipalities of Hermosillo and Cajeme), with 1113 confirmed cases, about 15 percent of the state’s total cases. Case counts in Nogales, Mexico are much higher than the reported numbers, due to the lack of widespread testing in Nogales, and throughout Sonora.
The high case counts also place an untenable stress on hospitals in Nogales, which are reportedly over capacity.
Death rates
One indicator that coronavirus cases are underreported in Nogales, Mexico is the number of deaths reported there. The virus typically results in the death of between one and two percent of those who are infected. The current death count in Nogales, Sonora is 81, which is 7.3 percent of reported cases.
Nogales, Arizona has reported 13 coronavirus-related deaths, about 0.08 percent of its total cases. It is possible that the number of Nogales deaths are underreported however, as some of those infected go to Tucson (in Pima County) for hospitalization and treatment.
Is it safe to visit Nogales, Mexico?
If you choose to cross the border into Nogales, Sonora, we recommend that cross-border visitors stay within the Nogales border tourism district.
The pharmacies, dentists and other medical professionals near the border follow COVID-19 safety precautions, as you should too. Wear a mask, observe social distancing, keep your hands clean and avoid touching your face.
Also, be aware that lines crossing the Nogales border back into Arizona have been longer during the COVID-19 crisis, so you may end up in a line of visitors (many without masks) waiting to enter the DeConcini facility.
Disinfection tunnels
For some reason, the City of Nogales, Sonora has placed disinfection tunnels at the border, for visitors to walk through. The tunnels can be dangerous, so if you are sensitive to chemicals or otherwise feel uncomfortable about chemical exposure, you can return to Nogales, Arizona.
Take precautions
If you are older than 65, are not feeling well, or have comorbidities that may complicate a novel coronavirus infection, perhaps it is better to wait until infections in the area are brought under control.
And if you decide to cross, remember to observe critical precautions, which bear repeating: wear a mask, maintain a safe distance with others, keep your hands clean and do not touch your face.
Be safe, and well.
Information sources:
Arizona Department of Health
Sonora Department of Health
June 23 Sonora coronavirus cases
The curve of new coronavirus cases in Sonora
Have you visited Nogales, Mexico recently? Let us know how it went.