News
Greg Evans
Mar 27, 2020
HERIKA MARTINEZ/AFP via Getty Images
A lot of strange and unprecedented things have happened during the coronavirus outbreak so far but we never thought we would see the day where Mexico is trying to stop Americans from crossing the border into their country.
It sounds like something from The Twilight Zone but this is something that is actually happening right now.
Reports state that the residents of the Mexican state of Sonora, which is just south of Arizona is blocking all traffic into Mexico from the US after it closed its border checkpoint on Wednesday out of fear of infected Americans entering their country.
This situation appears to have developed thanks to a blockade organised by members of the Sonorans for Health and Life group, who are calling for medical testing to be carried out on anyone who crosses the border, They reportedly manned the barrier while wearing masks and holding 'stay at home' signs.
The entire border between the two nations is supposed to be closed to everyone except those on essential business but there have been claims that it hasn't been properly enforced. Speaking to the Arizona Republic, Jose Luiz Hernandez, a member of the group said:
There are no health screenings by the federal government to deal with this pandemic. That's why we're here in Nogales. We've taken this action to call on the Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador to act now.
Mexico currently has far fewer cases of coronavirus, just 585 to date, whereas the US now has the most on the planet with more than 86,000 cases so far.
The irony of the country that Donald Trump wanting to build a wall across to prevent Mexicans from getting into the US, now wanting no Americans come anywhere near them hasn't been lost on some people.
Both Trump and the Mexican president, Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador have been criticised for their slow response to Covid-19 but the POTUS did announce last week that the border would be closed until the outbreak has passed. Obrador has continued to hold rallies throughout the pandemic and interacted with members of the public, shaking hands and kissing babies.
Arizona, which borders, Sonora has recorded more than 400 infections, with at least one death in every county which directly borders Mexico. Sonora has just four cases in it's entire state, with the first case being confirmed as early as 16 March, which was an elderly man who recently returned from the US.
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