As Mexico's coronavirus death toll surpasses 200,000, residents brace for holiday spike

Fresh dug graves are pictured at El Centinela cemetery, amid the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic, in Mexicali, Mexico March 23, 2021. Picture taken March 23, 2021. REUTERS/Victor Medina

MEXICO CITY (Reuters) - Mexico's coronavirus death toll topped 200,000 on Thursday, making it only the third country in the world to hit the grim milestone, as a vaccination campaign struggling to pick up pace and upcoming holidays fuel fears of a third wave of infections.

Some residents are imploring others to do their part to keep cases from surging again, after hospitals in some of the country's most populated urban centers, such as Mexico City and neighboring State of Mexico, were overwhelmed by the last wave.