As Mexico braces itself for the worst of the COVID-19 crisis in the coming weeks, the Mexico City government has added a section to its app to informs users of hospital locations and real-time conditions, according to a recent article.

This initiative is a huge leap for the Mexicans' battle against the deadly disease since not knowing which facilities are full and being passed on from one hospital to another increases the possibility of transmission and fatality rate among COVID-19 patients.

Authorities in the capital and México state hope to avoid panic and hospital saturation by keeping its citizens informed of hospital activity.

READ: Number of Coronavirus Outbreaks in Mexican Facilities Is Alarming

The App CDMX is available for both Apple and Android users. If you have already have downloaded it, you should update the app to make sure that the new hospital feature is working correctly.

The app features a 'Hospitals' section, which allows the users to gather information on the nearest hospital via GPS tracking of the app. This section also allows users to see the hospital's occupancy, rating them as either high, medium, or low.

Over the weekend, local media has reported that hospitals in Mexico City are already reaching their saturation point. According to an article by Latin Post, Mexico City hospitals are starting to reach a breaking point right after receiving 100 more COVID-19 patients needing intubation in just two days.

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However, as of Tuesday afternoon, only nine of the 54 facilities in the Mexico City metropolitan area displayed low availability in the app.


Mexico's Lack of PPE Leads To Outbreak in Hospitals

As of this writing, Mexico has 9,501 cases of COVID-19 infections, with 857 deaths and 2,627 recoveries.

The state health department reported that at the end of March, at least 51 workers at the IMSS General Hospital in Monclova in the northern state of Coahuila had been diagnosed with the COVID-19, and two medical doctors and a hospital administrator had died.

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The outbreak in Monclova, the first hot spot in Mexico for the coronavirus-related disease, was the first in a sequence of hospital infections that sparked backlash regarding the lack of proper equipment to combat the deadly virus. This same issue has also prompted doctors and nurses across the world to staging rallies.


Information is the best protection

With the ongoing crisis, being well-informed and updated about the coronavirus helps protect yourself from acquiring it.

But citizens can still keep in mind that the app isn't the way for them to find hospital information because an interactive map can also be found on the city's website.

The city government has also set up a text messaging system to provide support to those who suspect transmission. By texting "covid19" to the toll-free number 51515, you will receive a questionnaire to evaluate your case and see if you need further attention to the disease.

You can also download the questionnaire here, which is also available in English or request one via a direct message to Mexico City's Facebook account.