Posted on 04/27/2009 7:09:33 AM PDT by Oldeconomybuyer
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. State Department plans to issue a travel warning later on Monday urging Americans to avoid all "nonessential" travel to Mexico because of an outbreak of swine flu, a U.S. official said.
Swine flu has killed 103 people in Mexico and has spread to the United States. Spain has reported one case of the virus, the first to be confirmed in Europe.
"There will be a travel warning urging Americans to avoid all nonessential travel to Mexico because of the swine flu, [snip]
(Excerpt) Read more at reuters.com ...
ping ...
How about a travel warning FROM Mexico? They’ll we swarming to get free treatment in our hospitals!
I live in California’s central valley. We’ve got a huge Mexican legal and illegal population. I told everybody near and dear to me to stay away from crowds.
Yet we’re not testing arriving passengers from Mexico? Why not? Might it be considered profiling? Even racist?
Ping!
Ping (thanks, DvdMom!)
Only an idiot would go to Mexico City right now unless they really had critical business and were willing to accept the risk.
And the risk is probably still relatively small. Less than a couple thousand cases reported and less than a couple hundred deaths out of a population of 20 million.
Of course, the statistics are a trailing indicator, so it could be and probably is worse than that.
I just think these travel advisories are stupid. Informed people knew this last week. Stupid people will never hear the advisory. They’re watching American Idol.
U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE
Bureau of Consular Affairs
This information is current as of today, Mon Apr 27 17:09:13 2009.
Mexico
April 27, 2009
The Department of State alerts U.S. citizens of the health risks of travel to Mexico at this time due to an outbreak of H1N1 “swine flu.” The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has issued an April 27 notice recommending that American citizens avoid all nonessential travel to Mexico at this time. CDC’s notice also suggests precautions that travelers and U.S. citizen residents in Mexico can take to reduce their risk of infection while in Mexico. CDC provides recommendations for those who must travel to an area that has reported cases of swine flu, and recommends measures to take following return from an area that has reported cases of swine flu. The complete CDC notice can be found at the following link: http://www.cdc.gov/travel/. Please check this site frequently for updates. This Travel Alert expires on July 27, 2009.
The World Health Organization (WHO), the Global Alert and Response Network (GOARN) and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) have sent experts to Mexico to work with health authorities.
On April 25, the Government of Mexico announced that as a precautionary measure, all schools from kindergarten through university level will remain closed until May 6 in the Federal District, State of Mexico, and San Luis Potosi. All government-sponsored events involving large crowds have also been canceled, and museums and most tourist attractions are closed.
Consular operations at all consular posts in Mexico will be affected by this flu outbreak. Please refer to Embassy Mexico’s web page and that of individual posts for the latest information on closings and service reductions.
The U.S. Embassy reminds U.S. citizens in Mexico that most cases of influenza are not “swine flu.” Any specific questions or concerns about flu or other illnesses should be directed to a medical professional. Mexico City medical authorities urge people to avoid hospitals and clinics unless they have a medical emergency, since hospitals are centers of infection; instead, those with health concerns are encouraged to stay home and call their physicians to avoid potential exposure. Although the U.S. Embassy cannot give medical advice or provide medical services to the public, a list of hospitals and doctors can be found on our website at the following links: http://mexico.usembassy.gov/sacs_medical_info.html (Spanish)
http://mexico.usembassy.gov/eng/eacs_medical_info.html (English)
For additional information, please consult the State Department’s website at www.travel.state.gov, the CDC website at www.cdc.gov, or the website of the World Health Organization at www.who.int. The U.S.-based call center for U.S. citizens can be reached from 8:00 am – 8:00 pm Eastern Daylight Time, M-F, at 1-888-407-4747, or if calling from outside the U.S., at (202)-501-4444. The U.S. Embassy will also post additional information as it becomes available at: . American citizens traveling or residing overseas are encouraged to register with the appropriate U.S. Embassy or Consulate on the State Department's travel registration website at https://travelregistration.state.gov/.
For emergencies involving U.S. citizens in Mexico, please contact the closest U.S. Embassy or Consulate. The U.S. Embassy is located in Mexico City at Paseo de la Reforma 305, Colonia Cuauhtemoc, telephone from the United States: 011-52-55-5080-2000; telephone within Mexico City: 5080-2000; telephone long distance within Mexico 01-55-5080-2000. You may also contact the Embassy by e-mail at: ccs@usembassy.net.mx. The Embassy's internet address is http://www.usembassy-mexico.gov/.
They don’t need to worry about me going to Mexico, I don’t feel like fighting the Northbound traffic!
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