Earlier this month, Alonso Perez Rico, who heads Baja California's Secretariat of Health, informed about the beginning of an investigation that aims to know the incidence and prevalence of COVID-19 in the state.

The population being sampled are those residing in Tijuana, Mexicali and Ensenada, as they are the largest municipalities in the state. They are visited at their homes, a questionnaire is applied to them and several tests are performed free of charge.

"Between one thousand 200 and one thousand 500 people are being sampled with PCR molecular tests, antigen molecular tests, and serological antibody tests, those three tests are being done to a population to determine our incidence and prevalence", commented Perez Rico this morning.

It is worth remembering that last Thursday, February 11, the head of this agency met with San Diego authorities to discuss the current pandemic in order to generate strategies that benefit public health on both borders.

According to what was discussed in the meeting, the Secretary of Health commented this Wednesday that once the investigation is finished, in which the Autonomous University of Baja California (UABC), the Northern Border College, UC San Diego, and the Consulate General of Mexico in San Diego collaborate; "a determined clinical trial, with a methodological basis" will be presented to the authorities of Mexico and the United States, and prove that Baja California as well as California have the same prevalence and incidence.

"If that happens, it is a technical medical support to say: a closed border is not of much use", assured Dr. Perez Rico.

He also mentioned that San Diego authorities also agree that Baja California "is already prepared, due to the incidence we have, which continues to decrease, to precisely start this interaction", however, he added that the final decision is made only by the federal government of both countries.

"But if we provide them with the elements for them to make the decision, then an announcement will come very soon that we will eventually reopen," he said.

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