This answers López-Gatell for the photos of him on the beach 6:03
Mexico City (CNN) -
Imagine Dr. Fauci heading to a beach in Miami for a vacation right now.
This is how some Mexicans describe the actions of Dr. Hugo López-Gatell, undersecretary of health and main public face of the Mexican government's response to the coronavirus.
López-Gatell was photographed over the weekend in what appears to be a beachfront restaurant in the Mexican state of Oaxaca, in the tourist-friendly coastal town of Zipolite.
The images quickly went viral on social media.
Dissemination of photographs of the Undersecretary of Health of Mexico on vacation generates controversy on social networks
A source in the Mexican government confirmed the authenticity of the photos.
López-Gatell in Zipolite, in the Mexican state of Oaxaca.
In the images you can see López-Gatell sharing a table with a woman.
He does not wear a mask, which is not mandatory while sitting in restaurants that are allowed to be open.
Another viral photo from a few days earlier also showed him in the aisle of a plane using his cell phone, with the mask under his nose and chin.
No restrictions to travel in Mexico
There are no restrictions on traveling in Mexico at this time, so the undersecretary of health did not do anything illegal, although he thus ignored his own advice and that of local officials.
Many in Mexico are furious at the apparent hypocrisy of the Johns Hopkins-trained epidemiologist, whose "Stay Home" message has become a familiar phrase.
Since the start of the pandemic, López-Gatell has held widely publicized nightly press conferences in Mexico, urging people to properly wear masks and practice social distancing.
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On social media, people expressed their anger that López-Gatell - who last week sent a message to Twitter followers: "... to prevent infections, please stay home" - traveled at a time when medical personnel you are under intense stress.
"When thousands of doctors have not seen their families in Mexico or have died, when tens of thousands of health professionals cannot dream of taking vacations, a photo appears," wrote Xavier Tello, a health policy analyst for the City. from Mexico.
López-Gatell: I have nothing to hide
Asked about the trip at a press conference on Monday, López-Gatell said: “I have nothing to hide.
In fact, I went to the coast of Oaxaca… And I went to visit very close relatives, very close friends and we stayed in a private home during the end of the year ».
Mexicans comment on the photos of López-Gatell on the beach
Sitting in front of a sign that read "Stay Home," he told reporters that the restaurant where they saw him followed public health regulations, noting that the severity of Covid-19 varies between states.
López-Gatell himself lives in Mexico City, highly affected by the pandemic, where almost 30 public hospitals report that they have reached 100% of their capacity and many others are approaching that mark.
The city's head of government, Claudia Sheinbaum, has urged residents not to go out unless absolutely necessary.
The metropolis returned to Red Traffic Light, the highest coronavirus alert indicator in the country, more than two weeks ago.
That forced many companies to temporarily shut down amid an order to cease all non-essential activities until at least Sunday.
Increase in cases
López-Gatell's actions over the weekend could undermine the lessons he and other health authorities preached for months and come at an especially tense time of the pandemic in Mexico.
Deaths and newly confirmed cases have risen steadily across the country since early October, and recent daily figures are some of the highest for the pandemic.
More than 127,000 people have died from the virus.
When asked about López Gatell's trips, Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador said reporters should direct those questions to the undersecretary, but he seemed to justify the trip.
"He has been working very hard, he has been fulfilling his responsibilities," said López Obrador.
"It is good that there is such public scrutiny, but public servants also have rights."
The president, who has also traveled and rarely wears a mask, has faced widespread criticism for his handling of the pandemic from the start.
Hugo Lopez-Gatell