Mexico City, Dec 5 (IANS): Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador urged residents in the densely-populated capital Mexico City to stay at home and limit their end-of-year festivities, amid a spike in new coronavirus cases.

"If we don't have anything really important to do, let's not go out into the streets," Xinhua news agency quoted Lopez Obrador as saying during his regular press conference on Friday.

The President said he preferred to make a "respectful" request, rather than impose coercive measures with curfews, that residents avoid parties and instead communicate with friends and loved ones by phone or video calls.

In light of the continued spike, Lopez Obrador also said his administration will seek to make more hospitable beds available, especially in Mexico City.

The Health Ministry on Friday reported a record daily increase of 12,127 new confirmed coronavirus cases, which increased the overall infection tally to 1,156,770.

Meanwhile, the country's death toll from the virus increased by 690, reaching 108,863.

Mexico now ranks fourth among Latin American countries in terms of documented Covid-19 cases, following Brazil, Argentina and Colombia.