Mexico City is struggling to enforce hand washing amid pandemic. Here's why

One of the main ways to fight the spread of coronavirus is washing hands. But for many families in one of Mexico City's poorest neighbourhoods, this is not an option due to the lack of clean water.

In San Gregorio, poverty rates hover around 40 percent according to the latest government data. There are some places with no running water with which one can wash your hands, in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic.

It rains in Mexico City almost every day for six months per year. Yet years of poor city planning, a lack of infrastructure investment and corruption have led to severe water shortages.

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Oil drum-sized blue plastic containers, often grouped together -- called "pipas" -- are used to deposit water, which is later used by the barrels' owners.

For families for who the amount of water does not last all day, people use the water for washing dishes and clothes, and buys drinking water. Each bottle of water costs 150 pesos.

As for the laundry, there are public washing stations.

Government data from 2018 shows that about 20 percent of Mexico City's population doesn't have access to water every day.

Coronavirus has claimed more than 730,000 cases and 76,430 deaths across the country.