Mexico City, May 15 (IANS): Mexico has reached "the peak moment" of the coronavirus pandemic, officials said, as the country recorded its largest one-day rise in confirmed cases so far.

More than 2,409 new cases of the virus were confirmed on Thursday - the first time this figure has exceeded 2,000, taking the total number of confirmed cases in the country to 42,595, the BBC reported.

The deaths toll currently stood at 4,477.

The grim milestone comes amid preparations to ease lockdown measures and reopen the economy, particularly factories near the border with the US.

In a statement on Thursday, Assistant Health Secretary Hugo Lopez-Gatell described this as "the most difficult moment of the first wave of the epidemic".

He said that the country "could not relax measures" in place to stem the spread of the virus, and instead needs to embrace a "new normal" to avoid another wave of infections.

On Monday, some key industries,including mining, construction and automobile assembly, were scheduled to partially reopen.

In the statement, Lopez-Gatell stressed that the re-opening of these industries will be largely preparatory, with a broader restart of businesses not scheduled until June 1.

Government data released on Thursday also showed more than half of hospitals in the capital, Mexico City, were at capacity with coronavirus patients.