Gobierno de Sonora

A health care worker walks past hospital beds in a temporary hospital in Hermosillo, Sonora, on Nov. 18, 2020.

As coronavirus cases rise, Mexico has turned to partnerships with private hospitals to increase its capacity to care for COVID-19 patients, especially those who are extremely ill.

Coronavirus cases are going up in Mexico, like most of the world. So the government is expanding an agreement that allows Mexican patients with public health care to be treated in private hospitals. This time the focus is caring for patients with severe COVID-19 symptoms.

"There will be 150 private hospital beds available to achieve the goal of saving lives," said President Andrés Manuel López Obrador.

Those beds, in 50 hospitals around the country, are in addition to more than 3,000 private hospital beds around the country that were opened up to the public under the original "Todos Juntos Contra el COVID-19" program that started in April.

Sonoran state health officials have also reopened a temporary public hospital for coronavirus patients in Hermosillo. So far there are 30 beds available, but officials say there is capacity for up to 101 coronavirus patients.