The first alerts about the COVID-19 pandemic in Mexico were announced on January 9, 2020,The New Coronavirus Does Not Represent a Danger for Mexico Reporte de Indigo, 22 Jan 2020, retrieved 14 Mar 2020 but the first three confirmed cases in the country were at the end of February. In March, the World Health Organization declared that COVID-19 had become a pandemic, but that all of the confirmed cases in Mexico were related to people who had traveled overseas, so it was not considered an emergency. Nonetheless, Mexico began preparing for Phase 2, canceling or postponing massive entertainment events and classes in universities but without instituting travel restrictions.The proximity of phase 2 of coronavirus mobilizes Mexico and its government Expansión Politica, 13 Mar 2020 Mexico entered Phase 2 on March 24, 2020, stepping up restrictions by closing movie theaters, bars, nightclubs, museums, and other entertainment centers. The government banned some large gatherings but allowed others to continue. It encouraged social distancing, but AMLO was widely criticized for not practicing it himself. With 60% of the population in the “informal economy” and not protected by sick leave or unemployment insurance, AMLO refused to take strict efforts to close the economy down. A poll by Gabinete de Comunicación Estratégica on March 27, 2020, showed that 68.5% of Mexicans felt the government was not prepared for the health crisis. AMLO's overall approval rating fell to 37.4% from 80% at the time of his inauguration.López Obrador's popularity falls to its lowest level for his management of the coronavirus crisis EFE/20 minutos, 27 Mar 2020
