A Mexican border state implemented a license plate-based system to restrict traffic to slow the nationwide spread of the Coronavirus (COVID-19). The move, which also applies to out-of-state and U.S. vehicles, comes as businesses deemed non-essential are forced to shutter.
The measure that went into effect this week uses the last number of the license plate to determine what day those vehicles are not allowed to be on the road. Authorities also established checkpoints with the states bordering Tamaulipas.
The efforts are meant to slow the rapid spread of Coronavirus that in that state, which currently has 444 confirmed cases and 19 fatalities, according to the Tamaulipas Health Secretariat.
The figures released by Tamaulipas are significantly higher than those reported by Mexico’s federal Health Secretariat, which only acknowledges cases in government hospitals. The number of cases currently given by federal officials for Tamaulipas is only 295 confirmed.
During a nightly news conference, Mexico’s Undersecretary of Health Hugo Lopez Gatell and staff claimed that the current number of confirmed cases nationwide is 16,752. Mexico’s federal government has only carried out 77,000 tests.
Ildefonso Ortiz is an award-winning journalist with Breitbart Texas. He co-founded Breitbart Texas’ Cartel Chronicles project with Brandon Darby and senior Breitbart management. You can follow him on Twitter and on Facebook. He can be contacted at Iortiz@breitbart.com.
Brandon Darby is the managing director and editor-in-chief of Breitbart Texas. He co-founded Breitbart Texas’ Cartel Chronicles project with Ildefonso Ortiz and senior Breitbart management. Follow him on Twitter and Facebook. He can be contacted at bdarby@breitbart.com.