COVID-19. Update on the measures implemented by the Ministry of Health

March 27, 2020

As a result of the preventive measures implemented for the mitigation and control of the COVID-19 pandemic, on March 26, 2020, the Ministry of Health issued a decree by which it decided to suspend, due to force majeure, the legal terms during the period from March 26 to April 19, 2020, in all administrative actions and procedures that are processed with the Ministry of Health, its administrative units and decentralized administrative bodies, including the Federal Commission for the Protection Against Sanitary Risks (COFEPRIS), authority in sanitary matter in our country.

The Ministry of Health specified that all its dependencies will provide everything necessary so that in all the procedures that are essential and/or urgent to deal with the contingency, the necessary personnel are kept in work so as not to affect their own tasks, guaranteeing the continuity of operations for the fulfillment of its essential functions related to the control of the COVID-19 virus pandemic.

Therefore, only sanitary authorizations related to medicines, medical devices, import of supplies, among others, strictly related to the attention of the COVID-19 pandemic, may continue their process before COFEPRIS during said period.

However, today COFEPRIS issued a statement in which it specified that its Comprehensive Services Center (CIS) will also remain open to receive and attend those procedures (not related to COVID-19) necessary to continue with the supply of medical products to respond to the health needs of the population.

The OLIVARES COVID-19 Special Group will continue to monitor and follow up on the actions implemented by the government.