COVID-19: Mexico’s National Guard steps in to protect IMSS hospitals

On Wednesday, the National Guard launched the first stage for the protection of 84 Mexican Institute of Social Service (IMSS) hospitals in the country to provide security inside the facilities during the COVID-19 pandemic .

The new corporation in charge of commander Luis Rodríguez Bucio deployed officials in 84 medical units in Baja California, ‪Chihuahua, Mexico City, Coahuila, the State of Mexico, Guerrero, Jalisco, Michoacán, Morelos, Nuevo León, Puebla, Querétaro, Quintana Roo, San Luis Potosí, Tamaulipas, Tlaxcala, Veracruz, Yucatán, and Zacatecas, where they will be present and patrol the nearby area.

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The Citizen Security and Protection Ministry (SSCP) informed that in the rest of the states there is a close collaboration with federal, state, and local authorities from the Coordination Bureau for Building Peace in order to provide security to medical units .

It also said that the personnel that is not assigned to guard hospitals will continue performing tasks related to crime prevention and the promotion of health measures to support health authorities, civil protection, and public security throughout Mexico .

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The SSCP stressed that through the #QuédateEnCasaYa (Stay Home Now) program, promoted by Mexico’s government, the National Guard urges society to follow all health recommendations so as to diminish the risk of infection and to preserve the health of more Mexicans.

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