Mexico City shutdown likely to end as epidemic wanes: government
"It is very likely that restaurants and other points of economic activity will re-open on Wednesday," Health Minister Jose Angel Cordova told a news conference.
Despite upping the toll from the A(H1N1) virus to 22 dead and 568 infected cases, the epidemic appeared to be "in its phase of decline," he said.
The lifting of restrictions would spell relief to the capital's restaurants, cafes, bars, clubs, cinemas, theaters and gyms, which had been ordered to close to the public on April 28 to prevent contagion among clients.
The city's hospitality sector estimated the measure was costing the economy 100 million dollars a day and risking 450,000 jobs, as well as deepening a sharp tourist slump caused by flu fears.
President Felipe Calderon had also ordered non-essential offices to shut over a five-day holiday weekend due to end Tuesday.
Cordova said tests on a total 1,523 suspect cases since the start of epidemic had on Sunday revealed three more fatalities and 81 more infected cases.
The minister, who earlier Sunday said the epidemic had peaked in Mexico April 23-28, noted fewer people were now being admitted to hospitals with symptoms of the virus, "and those cases are less and less serious."
Fifteen of the fatalities were women and seven were men, he said. Most died in Mexico City.
Although restrictions were about to be eased, the government warned that caution should still be exercised.
It said it established on Sunday a list of public recommendations -- particularly for restaurants, public transport and other enclosed spaces -- to be followed to ensure the epidemic did not flare up again.
"These are instruments for all the population, empowering it to keep itself healthy," Cordova said, adding they would be revised constantly on his ministry's website.
The shift from mandatory virus-containment measures to voluntary rules was also an effort to bring back tourists who were absent from Mexico City and few in coastal resorts such as Acapulco and Cancun.
The country relies on the tourist industry for a significant part of its foreign-currency revenues.
"The longer the epidemic lasts, the more difficult it will be to restore credibility so the tourists return to the tourist sites," Cordova said, adding that the possibility of infection at those venues was "minimal."
A decision on a re-opening of the schools would be made Monday, he added.
Cordova also defended his government's handling of the epidemic, saying officials had been responsible in preparing for a worst-case scenario.
At the peak of the crisis, the health minister had spoken of 159 "probable" deaths, prompting the World Health Organization to raise its alert over the flu to warning a pandemic was "imminent."
Since then, though, stringent tests by US and Canadian labs have excluded the majority of the "probables," leaving the significant though much-smaller confirmed toll.
Mexico meanwhile directed its anger at China, which it accused of "unjustly" putting 70 visiting Mexicans in forced isolation despite them not showing symptoms of the virus.
China denied the allegation, saying its measures were not discriminatory.