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Mexico’s Calderon Declares Emergency Amid Swine Flu Outbreak

Mexican President Felipe Calderon declared an emergency in his country’s swine flu outbreak, giving him powers to order quarantines and suspend public events.

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The first case was seen in Mexico on April 13. The outbreak coincided with the President Barack Obama’s trip to Mexico City on April 16. Obama was received at Mexico’s anthropology museum in Mexico City by Felipe Solis, a distinguished archeologist who died the following day from symptoms similar to flu, Reforma newspaper reported. The newspaper didn’t confirm if Solis had swine flu or not.

http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601087&sid=aEsNownABJ6Q

Mexico City Saturday April 25, 2009
16:05

The Interior Ministry published in the Official Gazette a decree by which the executive takes control of operations in the country to prevent, control and combat the influenza virus.

The paper, published in a special edition of the Official Journal, contains 13 measures and systems, including the possibility of temporary closure of sites with high concentration of people such as local or entertainment centers.

The decree, signed by President Felipe Calderón and the Secretary of Health Jose Angel Cordova Villalobos, comes into force this Saturday and contains the following:

I. The isolation of people who may suffer from the disease and carriers of germs of the same for as long as is strictly necessary, and the limitation of their activities, where warranted by epidemiological reasons.

II. The application of serums, vaccines and other preventive and therapeutic resources.

III. The inspection of passengers who are potential carriers of germs, as well as luggage, transportation, goods and other objects that may be sources or vehicles of pathogens.

IV. Admission to all kinds of local housing or for carrying out activities aimed at controlling and combating the epidemic.

V. The utilization of all medical resources and social welfare of the public, social and private sectors.

VI. The acquisition nationally or internationally, medical equipment, diagnostic agents, and surgical treatment and hygiene products, as well as all types of goods, works, goods and services that are necessary to meet the contingency, without the need for exhausting the competitive bidding process for the quantities or concepts needed to cope.

VII. Import and authorize the import of goods and services mentioned in the preceding paragraph, without exhausting any administrative proceeding for the quantities or concepts to address the contingency view of this decree.

VIII. Atingentes order measures to prevent congregations of people at any venue, including the temporary closure of premises or entertainment centers.

IX. Entrusted to the federal, state and municipal as well as professional technicians and auxiliary disciplines for health, performance of activities it deems necessary.

X. The regulation of transit by land, sea and air, and dispose of all transportation and state-owned public service, whatever the legal regime they are subject to the latter.

XI. Free and priority use of telephone services, postal and telegraph, and radio and television, establishing guidelines and information necessary in order to convey clear and timely measures to cope with the contingency.

http://www.eluniversal.com.mx/notas/593646.html