So we have received the new instructions from the Mexican Government, and Mexico City is slowly starting to reopen after the five day shutdown. As of tomorrow restaurants and cafes are allowed to open up...
Most other businesses will also be open tomorrow, but theatres, cinemas, bars and clubs will have to remain closed until further notice.....
Museums, galleries, and public buildings will next open up on Thursday, as do schools as well, although some IB exams have had to be cancelled here, and won't be allowed to be rescheduled. The city is back to about 50% of citizens wearing face masks, but health checks are still stringent at airports. Flying back from Puerta Vallarta today, we had to fill in health questionnaires, be checked by a doctor, and have our body temperature taken. You will be pleased to know that I received my "Libre de Influenza" ( flu-free) sticker, without any problem, and it is now stuck firmly on my passport for future use....
Let's hope that as Mexico City begins to return to normality, all these images will become a thing of the past, but unfortunately severe economic damage has already been done with the tourism industry hit particularly hard. Popular resort, Puerta Vallarta, was probably down 80% this past long weekend, and we all remember those images of tourists at Cancun clamouring to get out of the country. Now, with only 22 confirmed Swine Flu deaths in Mexico, after much higher figures were initially bandied about, questions will start to be asked about whether the severity of the measures taken were absolutely necessary....As Mexico begins to slip well down the world news agenda, the verdict may well be that it has been over-hyped and over-exaggerated, but I guess that is always the beauty of hindsight.....
On a lighter note, I was somewhat amused to learn that I had been accused of and dubbed "The Silent Carrier" by American tourists recently staying in the same hotel as me in Antigua, Guatemala at Easter, when they mistakenly thought they were developing flu symptoms on their arrival home!!
For news about what is happening elsewhere in the world this week, click here for MyWorldTuesday postings...
14 comments:
Yes...I think things may have gotten a little carried away...
Things got a little nuts--and now nobody is talking about it! The adrenalin rush of fear has passed....
Catherine: They may have gone overboard with all the reaction to this flu scare. Better safe then sorry I guess.
Things have gone overboard in our country too, since a group of school children from the North Island, returned with mild flu like symptoms, still maybe better safe than sorry.
Stay healthy and well.
The Silent Carrier? Oh good grief! I'm so glad to hear that things are getting back to normal. I felt the situation was over-hyped over here in Oz where as far as I'm aware there were no reported cases of anybody having that flu. My workplace even ordered a giant box of masks for all staff to wear. We blantantly refused!
in spite of medical advancement we have become so much more vulnerable to diseases!
Glad to hear your world is slowly getting back to normal.
I thought about you when the news of swine flu in Mexico came out.
Strange how the death toll was so high at first, then drastically reduced.
Glad to hear all is returning to normal.
That's a relief. I bet you want all this panic to go away and come back to normal. Many thanks for your updates.
Greetings from London.
It will subside soon.
Just take care.
I think it is easy to look back and say the government over-reacted. What I find so sad and depressing is the fact that some Americans stopped buying pork products because they were afraid they would catch swine flu from the meat.
Ai, yi, yi....we are an amazingly ignorant and under-educated people up here!
Reading this I wonder if the economic battering won't cause more damage than the flu. Whilst obviously it's sensible to take precautions, it's a shame the press whipped it up into such a frenzy, although not very surprising!
Hello and hope all is well in Mexico. I read about todays national mexican celebration or is that just for Mexican Americans?
BTW: Spotted you on Cuban in Londons blog and was amazed to learn that you do teach your students about Chima? Author of purple Hirbiscus?
Greetings from Devon!
Thanks for all your kind comments again this week... I am going to take a break from swine flu and start writing about something else this week...
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