Mexico Warns Coronavirus May Last One Year, Tightens Curbs

Mexico has registered 15 new cases of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19), bringing the number of those who have contracted the infection to 41, Deputy Health Minister Hugo Lopez-Gatell said earlier in the day.

Mexican authorities have begun rolling out tougher measures to contain the spread of the coronavirus, calling for an end to gatherings of 5,000 people or more and extending the Easter school holidays.

"We're preparing for an epidemic that could last all year", Deputy Health Minister Hugo Lopez-Gatell told a news conference.

Earlier in the day, the Mexican Education Ministry announced the suspension of training and sports activities at all levels of the educational system, including private schools, for the period from 20 March to 20 April.

The authorities have delayed declaring a quarantine in schools for one week. They explained that it was inexpedient to immediately interrupt education given the dynamics of the infection's spread.

The World Health Organisation previously declared the COVID-19 outbreak a pandemic. The number of coronavirus cases worldwide has surpassed 156,000 in almost 140 countries and territories, with over 5,800 fatalities, according to Johns Hopkins University.

(SPUTNIK)