In the first stages of the pandemic the city of Mexicali reported 25 senior adults were abandoned by their families, according to media reports.

Family Development Agency Director Karla Gonzales said the affected adults were taken to hospitals but were never picked up by their families, La Crónica newspaper reported.

“These were people that were left in our doors,” the city official said. “Actually, they were taken with Covid-19.”

Gonzales, who said the city does not know exactly how many adults had been abandoned, said the agency was forced to take precautionary measures to protect staff.

Some of those adults were taken to the Grandparent House, others to the Carlos Canseco shelter in rural Mexicali while the rest were admitted by private institutions.

The city official said an effort was made to increase donations to address the needs of abandoned adults.