MEXICO CITY, April 26 (Xinhua) -- Mexico City and the seven adjoining State of Mexico municipalities are semi-paralyzed following the Friday declaration of a "maximum alert" by city authorities in a bid to fight swine flu.

    Local authorities ordered to shut down public parks, theatres, museums, cinemas and libraries, while the Education Ministry closed all educational institutions, from nurseries to universities until May 6, in a bid to halt the spread of the swine flu virus.

A Mariachi wears a mask as he plays the violin at Zocalo square in Mexico City April 25, 2009.(Xinhua/Reuters Photo) Photo Gallery>>>

    Privately owned cinema operator Cinemex also suspended performances in the Valley of Mexico, which covers the city and a large chunk of the state. The diving Grand Prix in the city's Olympic swimming pool took place behind closed doors and football teams have barred all but players and technical staff from Sunday's matches.

    Even the city's archbishop called a halt to all public religious worship. The federal government has reported 22 confirmed deaths of swine flu and another 64 suspected death cases.

Mexicans wear masks to prevent swine flu in Mexico city, capital of Mexico, April 26, 2009.(Xinhua/David de la paz) Photo Gallery>>>

    Health Minister Jose Angel Cordova said later Sunday that suspected swine flu cases have risen to 1,614 with 103 believed dead.

    "All my family is using face masks and we only go to the store for staple foods, fizzy drinks and water, so we can avoid infection," factory worker Juan Jose Oliva told Xinhua.

    It is common to see dozens of people with their mouth and nose covered, and pharmacies and supermarkets are running out of the face masks.

    Cafes, bars and restaurants are almost empty.

A pharmacy store saleswoman opens the last box of masks for sale to prevent swine flu in Mexico city, capital of Mexico, April 26, 2009. (Xinhua/David de la paz) Photo Gallery>>>

    "We are about to close doors, because we have no clients and we are not going to earn even enough to pay employees," Ismael Godinez, who manages cafe Gourmet branch in the south of the city told Xinhua. "My family is using face masks, but I am afraid a customer might give me influenza," he said.

    The City government on Sunday said it would distribute a million face masks on public transport systems, the metro, metro bus and light rail. Volunteers are also handing out face masks provided by the city at intersections, when traffic lights turn red.

    "It seems that covering half our faces with masks scares clients," said taxi driver Ruben Ortiz. "Many of them are suspicious and prefer public buses," he said. He described the capital as living in "a climate of fear."

    The city's main markets Sonora, Jamaica and La Merced saw a decline in the number of visitors and buyers while the city's main thoroughfares are empty. Taxi stands are filled with vehicles that nobody wants to ride.

Subway passengers wear masks to prevent swine flu in Mexico city, capital of Mexico, April 26, 2009. (Xinhua/David de la paz) Photo Gallery>>>

Latest developments on swine flu worldwide

    Death toll reached 103 including confirmed or suspected swine flu cases, all in Mexico.

    The sickened numbers are 1,614 in Mexico, suspected or confirmed; 20 confirmed in U.S.; 6 confirmed in Canada; 13 suspected in New Zealand; 7 suspected in Spain; 1 suspected in France; 1 suspected in Israel; 1 suspected in Brazil. Full story

Backgrounder: Key facts about swine flu

    WASHINGTON, April 25 (Xinhua) -- A new swine flu strain has killed as many as 20 people and sickened more than 1,300 across Mexico. Eleven U.S. people were also confirmed to be infected with the virus.

    The World Health Organization announced Saturday that the outbreak in Mexico and the United States constituted a "public health emergency of international concern."

Health secretary: Death toll of confirmed, suspected swine flu cases reaches 103 in Mexico

    MEXICO CITY, April 26 (Xinhua) -- The Mexican health secretary said on Sunday that the death toll of confirmed and suspected swine flu cases rose to 103, with the number of sickened cases reaching 1,614.

    Health Secretary Jose Angel Cordova updated the numbers while speaking to Televisa Mexican national television network on Sunday night. Full story

Mexican stadiums closed for fear of swine flu

    MEXICO CITY, April 26 (Xinhua) -- A game in Mexico City's Aztec Stadium has to be played before an empty house on Sunday as swine flu fears forced stadiums to be closed.

    The capacity 105,000 Aztec Stadium was empty when Mexico City's America team played at the normally jam-packed stadium against Tecos. Full story

Britain on alert for swine flu outbreak

    LONDON, April 27 (Xinhua) -- Britain has said it is monitoring closely the spread of swine flu as three potential cases had been reportedly found in the country by Sunday.

    So far, at least 86 deaths linked with the virus have been reported in Mexico, and more cases have been identified in other countries. Full story

Mexican gov't warns against improper advertising regarding swine flu

    MEXICO CITY, April 26 (Xinhua) -- The Mexican government on Sunday warned that firms should not take advantage of the nation's swine flu panic with false advertising.

    Any advertising that is "unauthorized or that tries to confuse or surprise users, will be taken off the air immediately and sanctioned with the full weight of the law," the Federal Commission Against Health Risks of the Health Ministry said in a statement. Full story

Portugal issues swine flu alert

    LISBON, April 26 (Xinhua) -- Portugal's health authorities said Sunday that there are no confirmed cases of swine flu in the country so far while the government is on alert for a "potential pandemic risk."

    The General Health Directorate said Portugal has issued an alert asking residents experiencing symptoms like a swift increase in temperature, intense headache or muscular pain to see doctors and give samples for analysis, especially when they recently visited Mexico, Canada or the United States or had contact with people from those countries. Full story

New Zealand upgrades alert level to Code Yellow for swine flu

    WELLINGTON, April 27 (Xinhua) -- New Zealand Prime Minister John Key said on Monday that New Zealand was well prepared to handle swine flu and has increased surveillance.

    The health authorities has put the alert status for response to a potential influenza epidemic up from white to yellow, a stand-by phase which is one below the code red response phase. Full story

Spain investigating seven possible swine flu cases

    MADRID, April 26 (Xinhua) -- Spain's Health Ministry on Sunday announced that the country is investigating seven possible cases of swine flu in four autonomous regions.

    The Health Ministry will take at least 48 hours to confirm if these are cases of swine flu, and has called a meeting of officials from the autonomous regions to discuss possible emergency measures. Full story

Mexico president calls for calm on swine flu

    MEXICO CITY, April 26 (Xinhua) -- President Felipe Calderon on Sunday called on Mexicans to avoid flu infections and maintain calm while facing the swine flu, which has infected 1,384 and killed 20 in the nation.

    "All Mexican should make a special effort to avoid contact with potential virus carriers," he said. "We are facing an epidemic not because of the number of cases but because it is a mutation of the flu virus. This is a new virus that has affected several states, but mostly the Mexico City conurbation," he said. Full story

U.S. declares public health emergency with 20 swine flu cases confirmed

    WASHINGTON, April 26 (Xinhua) -- The Obama administration on Sunday declared public health emergency, immediately after at least 20 cases have been confirmed of swine flu in the United States.

    The Department of Health and Human Services "will declare today a public health emergency in the United States," Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano told a White House briefing. Full story

Obama orders active measures to deal with swine flu

    WASHINGTON, April 26 (Xinhua) -- U.S. President Barack Obama has ordered his administration to take active and aggressive measures to deal with swine flu, which has infected at least 20 people in the United States.

    As one of the measures, the administration declared a public health emergency on Sunday. Full story

Probable swine flu death toll reaches 81 in Mexico

    MEXICO CITY, April 25 (Xinhua) -- An outbreak of swine flu in Mexico may have killed up to 81 people so far this month while more than 1,300 were suspected to be infected, Health Minister Jose Angel Cordova said late Saturday.

    Since April 13, "there have been 81 registered deaths which are probably linked to the virus, of which only 20 cases have virological checks," Cordova told a news conference after meeting with health officials from across the country. Full story

More swine flu cases crop up in California

    A total of seven swine flu cases have been reported so far in California, indicating the potential for a swine flu pandemic, health officials warned on Sunday.

    Four cases were reported in San Diego County and three in Imperial County, both in Southern California. The latest victim, a35-year-old Imperial County woman diagnosed April 4, has since fully recovered, according to the California Public Health Department. Full story

Spain reports three suspected cases of swine flu

    MADRID, April 26 (Xinhua) -- Spanish Health Minister Trinidad Jimenez said on Sunday that three Spanish nationals had developed symptoms similar to swine flu a few days after they returned from a Mexico trip.

    Currently, the three were placed in isolation and treated at different hospitals, said Jimenez. Full story 

Two people in swine flu alert in Scotland

    LONDON, April 26 (Xinhua) -- Two people have been admitted to a hospital in Scotland after returning from Mexico on April 21 because they displayed mild flu-like symptions, BBC reported here Sunday.

    But the two patients were not giving cause for concern, said Scottish Health Secretary Nicola Sturgeon. She said there was "no immediate threat to public health in Scotland." Full story

Canada confirms six cases of swine flu

    OTTAWA, April 26 (Xinhua) -- Six cases of swine flu have now been found in Canada, health officials confirmed Sunday.

    Four cases have been confirmed in the eastern Nova Scotia province. The patients are high school students who recently traveled to Mexico. All have minor symptoms and are recovering, provincial health officials said. Full story

Eight swine flu cases confirmed in New York

    NEW YORK, April 26 (Xinhua) -- New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg said Sunday that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) confirmed that eight high school students from city have been infected with swine flu.

    Bloomberg told a press conference the cases are mild and that many are recovering. Full story

Report: Israeli man in hospital on suspicion of swine flu

    JERUSALEM, April 26 (Xinhua) -- A 26-year-old Israeli man was hospitalized Sunday in Netanya after returning from Mexico with signs of swine flu, local news service Ynet reported.

    The man has been isolated and doctors are trying to determine whether he has been infected with the swine flu virus, which has led to the death of dozens of people in Mexico, said the report. Full story

WHO says world better prepared to deal with possible pandemic

    GENEVA, April 26 (Xinhua) -- The world is now much better prepared to deal with a possible pandemic than five years ago, a senior World Health Organization (WHO) official said on Sunday.

    "The past five years have put us in the best possible position to handle this kind of situation," Keiji Fukuda, acting WHO director-general for health security, told a telephone press conference on the current threat of swine flu. Full story

World Bank provides Mexico with over $200 mln to address swine flu

    WASHINGTON, April 26 (Xinhua) -- The World Bank is giving Mexico more than 200 million U.S. dollar in loans to help the country tackle a recent outbreak of swine flu, Mexican Finance Minister Agustin Carstens said here Sunday.

    Carstens said 25 million U.S. dollars will be used for immediate needs like purchasing medicine and medical equipment, while another 180 million in loans will deal with long-term needs. Full story

Canada says well-prepared to handle swine flu outbreak

    OTTAWA, April 26 (Xinhua) -- Canada's Health Minister Leona Aglukkaqon Sunday said the country is well-prepared to deal with the outbreak of swine flu and pledged to take whatever measures to keep the public safe.

    The remarks came after six cases of swine flu were confirmed in the country earlier Sunday. Full story

California on alert as swine flu death toll increases in Mexico

    LOS ANGELES, April 26 (Xinhua) -- Public health officials in California on Sunday warned of the potential for a swine flu pandemic as the death toll of the disease increased in Mexico and cases cropped up in the United States.

    A total of seven cases have been reported so far in California, with four in San Diego County and three in Imperial County, officials said. Full story

Mexico City takes measures against flu outbreak

WHO declares swine flu outbreak "public health emergency"

    GENEVA, April 25 (Xinhua) -- The World Health Organization (WHO)on Saturday declared the swine flu outbreak in Mexico and the United States a "public health emergency of international concern" and urged countries to be alert. 

    Based on the advice of a WHO emergency committee, Director-general Margaret Chan "has determined that the current events constitute a public health emergency of international concern," the UN agency said in a statement.  Full story

China on alert to prevent swine flu infection

    BEIJING, April 25 (Xinhua) -- China's General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine issued an emergency notice Saturday night requiring people to report flu-like symptoms at the point of entry when coming from the deadly swine flu affected places.

    This is China's latest move in response to the outbreaks of human infection of Swine Influenza A/H1N1 in Mexico and the United States.  Full story

Hong Kong to enhance surveillance at boundary control points for Swine Flu

    HONG KONG, April 25 (Xinhua) -- Hong Kong will step up local surveillance systems at boundary control points and the public health laboratory in light of outbreaks of human infection of Swine Influenza A/H1N1 in Mexico and the United States, the Center for Health Protection (CHP) of the Department of Health of Hong Kong announced on Saturday.

    Travelers from the affected places who are found to have Swine Influenza symptoms at Hong Kong's boundary control points will be taken to hospitals for further investigation. Laboratory testing for Swine Influenza will be conducted for patients with influenza-like-illness who had traveled to the affected places within 7 days before onset of symptoms. Full story

Macao issues warnings to residents traveling in nations with swine flu outbreak

    MACAO, April 26 (Xinhua) -- The Tourism Crisis Management Office (GGCT) of Macao has sent out an SMS alert to local residents currently traveling in Mexico, the U.S., Canada and New Zealand to be attentive to the latest news concerning Swine Influenza, and to avoid crowded public areas, according to a GGCT press statement released on Sunday.

    The move came after the Chinese Embassy in Mexico issued a notice to Chinese citizens concerning Swine Influenza.  Full story

Japan tightens measures against swine flu threat after outbreak in Mexico

    TOKYO, April 26 (Xinhua) -- Japan has tightened preventive measures against the threat of swine flu as the deadly outbreaks in Mexico claimed more than 60 human lives.

    At a meeting of ministry and agency section chiefs Saturday, the government decided to strengthen measures to prevent the virulent strain of swine flu from spreading to Japan and issued an advisory for travelers to Mexico and the United States, where eight people were infected with the disease, that urges precautions such as wearing masks and washing hands, and called on all people returning from either country to report unusual symptoms.  Full story

S Korea to tighten quarantine measures for U.S., Mexican pork

    SEOUL, April 26 (Xinhua) -- The South Korean government announced to tighten quarantine measures for pork from the United States and Mexico after outbreaks of swine influenza in these countries, local media reported on Sunday.

    South Korea's National Veterinary Research and Quarantine Service announced Saturday that U.S. and Mexican pork to be imported from Monday will be put in quarantine to check if it was infected with the disease.  Full story

Australian health experts meet to respond to swine-flu threat

    CANBERRA, April 26 (Xinhua) -- Australia's health protection officials including chief medical officer Jim Bishop hold meetings on Sunday to talk about how to guard the nation from the pig flu outbreak in Mexico and the United States.

    "Australia has good communicable disease surveillance and control systems in place to detect and respond to outbreaks of illness," a spokeswoman for the Department of Health and Ageing said.  Full story

New Zealand school group quarantined on return from Mexico

    WELLINGTON, April 26 (Xinhua) -- A school group from New Zealand's largest city of Auckland was being quarantined at home after returning from Mexico, New Zealand media reported on Sunday.

    An emergency decree has been declared in Mexico following the outbreak of a new flu virus suspected of killing 81 people there. The World Health Organization has declared the outbreaks of influenza-like illness in Mexico and four U.S. states as a "public health emergency of international concern".  Full story

South American nations on alert for swine flu

    LIMA, April 25 (Xinhua) -- Public health authorities of South American countries took precautionary measures to fend off a possible pandemic after a deadly swine flu virus claimed dozens of lives in Mexico and infected at least 11 people in the United States.

    In Peru, experts with the Health Ministry said the ministry had initiated a nationwide precautionary plan to deal with potential threats, though no suspicious cases have been reported so far in the country.  Full story

Britain on alert for swine flu outbreak

    LONDON, April 27 (Xinhua) -- Britain has said it is monitoring closely the spread of swine flu as three potential cases had been reportedly found in the country by Sunday.

    So far, at least 86 deaths linked with the virus have been reported in Mexico, and more cases have been identified in other countries.  Full story