In a joint news conference yesterday, four government ministers, including Health Secretary José Angel Córdova, announced the relaxing of the influenza alert and a gradual resumption of social activity in Mexico City. Restaurants are permitted to reopen tomorrow. High schools and universities will reopen Thursday, May 7 and K-9 will return to classes the following Monday.
According to Mr. Córdoba, the number of people requesting medical attention for the flu had decreased since April 26. While chilangos will be allowed to emerge from their homes and return to public places, the health alert continues and control measures will stay in place. The next steps to be taken by students and teachers will be spelled out when classes resume.
Since the public health emergency was announced on April 23, there have been 822 laboratory-confirmed cases of the new influenza type A (H1N1) and 29 deaths attributed to this disease nationwide (WHO statistics). The virus has been detected throughout the republic, although the Federal District (Mexico City) had the most cases and the strictest public health measures.
The World Health Organization (WHO) reports that worldwide there have been 1,490 lab-confirmed cases of this disease in 21 different countries. In the US there have been 403 lab-confirmed cases, and only one death, which triggered the phase 5 pandemic alert announced by the WHO last week. The highest level alert, phase 6, would be declared if there were sustained community-level outbreaks in another region of the world. So far that has not happened.
The above map, taken from the WHO, shows the influenza situation in the Americas. Most cases have been detected in North America, although some possible cases have been reported in Colombia and Brazil. These are more worrisome as the southern hemisphere is entering its winter months that will bring a climate more favorable for the flu virus.
As health officials have warned us, the A/H1N1 virus will not disappear overnight. It will continue to infect isolated individuals in the population for some time to come. In fact the 1918-19 influenza outbreak that caused the so-called Spanish Flu, a strain similar to the current one, attacked in waves. For this reason it is important for us to take good care of ourselves and continue to heed public health measures.
4 comments:
I think that we will soon return to normalcy because the less people have become sick. I am glad that the city will reopen because I really want to return to my normal life.
I think that we are returning to our normal life because less people are getting sick and people have been treated, but we still need to take precautions and health measures so that we don´t get sick. I am amazed Mexico did a very good job in dealing with this health situation. I am happy that we are returning to our normal life but as I said taking awareness and precautions.
Andrea Sariñana
Due to the situation we are in Mexico we could not continue our normal lives for a time. Now we are returning to our normal lives. I think that this is happening because the situation is not that bad now since we are now taking many precautions. I am glad we are now returning to our normal lives because it is much better. Because we are still in a situation in which we have to take care, we have to take care of ourselves and wash our hand many times a day.
The government has already officially declared the return to normalcy, which in this case would be that restaurant staff won't have to cover their mouths anymore and schools won't have to have their students wash their hands after every period, but it is recommended for these measures to continue in schools. Public areas are open since a long time already so that lasted less time.
Post a Comment