Mexico to partially shut down economy in flu crisis
30 Apr 2009 06:01:19 GMT Source: Reuters
(For full coverage of the flu outbreak, click [nFLU]) * Mexico to shut down parts of economy May 1-5 * President tells Mexicans to stay at home for shutdown (Adds detail on economy, byline) By Alistair Bell and Catherine Bremer MEXICO CITY, April 29 (Reuters) - President Felipe Calderon ordered government offices and businesses not essential to the economy shut down for five days from Friday and told people to stay indoors as Mexico fights a deadly and spreading flu virus. "There is no safer place than your own home to avoid being infected with the flu virus," Calderon said on Wednesday in his first television address to the Mexican people since the flu crisis broke last week. He wants all government offices and private businesses that are not crucial to the economy to stop work from May 1-5 to avoid further infections from the new swine flu virus that has killed up to 176 people in Mexico and is now spreading around the world, raising fears of a pandemic. [nN29472619] The government said supermarkets, food stores, hospitals, financial services firms, telecomunications and public transport businesses and other essential services would operate normally, but other companies will be asked to close up and some government ministries will shut their doors. "What we are looking for is for this to be as wide as possible so it can have an impact on the objective of breaking the reproductive cycle of the virus in the widest possible way," Finance Minister Agustin Carstens said. Mexico City has already been running at half-steam for the past few days with bars, restaurants, museums, cinemas and gyms all shut down, while all schools and archeological sites are closed across the country. Although the extended shutdown ordered by Calderon will last for five days, the period includes a weekend and the May 1 public holiday. Mexico's economy is already being slammed by the effect of so many people staying home with their purses shut. A series of travel warnings by foreign governments is also expected to slash Mexico's tourism income. Even before the flu scare began, Mexico was in a recession. The central bank said on Wednesday the economy probably shrunk by as much as 8 percent in the first three months of the year compared to the same period in 2008. Mexico's peso <MXN=> weakened sharply after the governnment announced the new emergency measures, dropping 1.6 percent against the dollar in after-hours trading. As many government workers as possible will be sent home but key public sectors like oil production, the police and the army will work as normal, Carstens said. The World Health Organization said on Wednesday that the world is on the brink of a pandemic, raising its threat level as the swine flu virus spread and killed the first person outside of Mexico, a toddler in Texas. Calderon had been criticised for staying behind the scenes as his government battled the flu virus and his televised address seemed aimed at reassuring Mexicans that he is leading the efforts. "I know many of you have had to suspend your activities and may have seen your earnings fall but it is worth it if we can look after the health of our loved ones and protect Mexico from this evil," he said. (Additional reporting by Jason Lange; Editing by Kieran Murray)
A passenger wearing a protective mask walks past an airport staff after arriving in Shanghai on a flight from Mexico, at the arrival terminal of Shanghai Pudong International Airport April 30, ...
