MEXICO CITY (AP) — Mexico’s most populous state said Monday it was stepping up health screening at schools and recommended the use of face masks for students and staff as the country confronts a growing measles outbreak.
The decision by Mexico state followed similar measures announced last week in the western state of Jalisco, site of the country’s largest outbreak, where masks are now required in the schools of its capital Guadalajara, Mexico’s second-largest city.
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Students arrive to school wearing face masks due to a measles outbreak in Guadalajara, Mexico, Friday, Feb. 6, 2026. (AP Photo/Fernando Llano)
A health worker administers a dose of the measles vaccine in Chapultepec Park in Mexico City, Sunday, Feb. 8, 2026. (AP Photo/Marco Ugarte)
A health worker administers a dose of the measles vaccine in Chapultepec Park in Mexico City, Sunday, Feb. 8, 2026. (AP Photo/Marco Ugarte)
A health worker prepares a dose of the measles vaccine in Chapultepec Park in Mexico City, Sunday, Feb. 8, 2026. (AP Photo/Marco Ugarte)
Through Feb. 6, there were 2,143 confirmed measles cases nationwide and nearly 6,000 suspected cases. Jalisco was home to more than half of Mexico’s confirmed cases, but there are confirmed cases from Mexico’s northern border to its southern border.
The health department of Mexico state, which hugs Mexico City on three sides, said students’ temperatures will be taken at school entrances and the state will push a vaccination campaign.
Measles cases began surging last year in the northern border state of Chihuahua. Officials traced that outbreak that began in March 2025 to an 8-year-old unvaccinated Mennonite boy who visited relatives in Seminole, Texas — at the center of the U.S. outbreak.
The Chihuahua outbreak has since been controlled, but there are confirmed measles cases now in all of Mexico’s 32 states.
Mexico state Health Secretary Macarena Montoya Olvera said Monday that the outbreak in the state is under control and that the cases have so far been light. The federal government has confirmed 40 cases there.
Neighboring Mexico City has launched an aggressive vaccination campaign. As of last Friday, there were 166 confirmed cases.
The Pan American Health Organization issued an epidemiological alert last week following a surge of measles cases across the Americas.
Canada lost its measles-free status in November and the same could happen to the United States and Mexico.
Students arrive to school wearing face masks due to a measles outbreak in Guadalajara, Mexico, Friday, Feb. 6, 2026. (AP Photo/Fernando Llano)
A health worker administers a dose of the measles vaccine in Chapultepec Park in Mexico City, Sunday, Feb. 8, 2026. (AP Photo/Marco Ugarte)
A health worker administers a dose of the measles vaccine in Chapultepec Park in Mexico City, Sunday, Feb. 8, 2026. (AP Photo/Marco Ugarte)
A health worker prepares a dose of the measles vaccine in Chapultepec Park in Mexico City, Sunday, Feb. 8, 2026. (AP Photo/Marco Ugarte)
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. (AP) — An Alabama circuit judge on Monday denied Alabama basketball player Charles Bediako’s motion for a preliminary injunction, ending the 7-foot center's collegiate eligibility and his season with the Crimson Tide.
County Circuit Court Judge Daniel Pruet cited that Bediako “failed to demonstrate that he is entitled to the injunctive relief that he seeks,” according to court documents.
Bediako was playing under a temporary restraining order that allowed the former NBA G League player to join Alabama in the middle of the season despite questions regarding his collegiate eligibility.
NCAA President Charlie Baker said in a statement that he was glad the court “upheld the rules of our members.”
“Common sense won a round today," Baker said. "The court saw this for what it is: an attempt by professionals to pivot back to college and crowd out the next generation of students. College sports are for students, not for people who already walked away to go pro and now want to hit the ‘undo’ button at the expense of a teenager’s dream. While we’re glad the court upheld the rules our members actually want, one win doesn’t fix the national mess of state laws. It’s time for Congress to stop watching from the sidelines and help us provide some actual stability.”
Alabama said it was disappointed in the ruling and called for consistency from NCAA decision-makers.
“We are disappointed in today’s court ruling, denying the injunction for Charles Bediako," the school said in a statement. "While we understand the concern around competitive and developmental implications of former professional athletes participating in college, it is important to acknowledge reality. The NCAA has granted eligibility to over 100 current men’s basketball players with prior professional experience in the G League or overseas. Granting eligibility to some former professionals, and not to others, is what creates the havoc we are currently in and why consistency from decision-makers is so desperately needed.”
The 23-year-old Bediako was averaging 10 points, 4.6 rebounds and 1.4 blocks in five games Alabama went 3-2 in those games.
Attorneys for both sides — Bediako and the NCAA — argued their cases Friday. Bediako sued college basketball’s sanctioning body in an effort to regain eligibility despite leaving Alabama for the NBA draft in 2023, signing a two-way NBA contract and playing the last three seasons in the developmental G League.
Bediako spent two seasons (2021-23) at Alabama, averaging 6.6 points, 5.2 rebounds and 1.7 blocks, and helped the Crimson Tide make the NCAA Tournament twice. He wasn’t selected in the 2023 draft, but he played for the Motor City Cruise in the NBA’s G League as recently as mid-January.
His lawyers argued that Bediako remains within his five-year college eligibility window. The NCAA denied Alabama’s initial petition, and NCAA President Charlie Baker and SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey have made it clear they are opposed to Bediako’s reinstatement.
Crimson Tide coach Nate Oats said Friday that, regardless of the outcome of the case, Bediako will be allowed to remain on scholarship and work toward a college degree.
Alabama (16-7, 6-4 Southeastern Conference), which faces Mississippi on Tuesday, did not immediately comment on the court decision.
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Alabama center Charles Bediako (14) jumps to block Florida center Rueben Chinyelu, left, during the second half of an NCAA college basketball game, Sunday, Feb. 1, 2026, in Gainesville, Fla. (AP Photo/Noah Lantor)
