Flu update: 3 local deaths mean schools, bars, cinemas closed till May 18

The state of Jalisco where we live has a population of 7 million. So far there have been three cases of the H1N1 flu here that have resulted in deaths.

There have been 26 confirmed cases here and 1,259 suspected, so yesterday, Gov. Emilio Gonzalez ordered all universities and schools to remain shut down until May 18. They´ve already been closed for two weeks.

He also ordered the closing of bars, discos, sport stadiums and any place where large crowds gather. The city of Guadalajara closed the cemeteries, which get a lot of visits on Mother´s Day, which is tomorrow.

The flu scare you´ve all been seeing on television has been mainly in Mexico City, but now Jalisco and several other states are getting a delayed reaction.

Mexicans have a deep distrust of government officials and politicians, so they view these announcements with a mixture of fear and disbelief. They are also extremely upset that other countries, such as China and the U.S., have been shunning Mexicans.















The Flu´s Football Fallout

Also yesterday the Mexican Football (soccer) Association detonated a bomb of atomic proportions. (Foto from Milenio) It announced it was withdrawing its two teams from the final 16 of the Liberator´s Cup (Latin America´s football playoffs, bigger than the World Series) rather than give up the home field advantage they were supposed to have against teams from Uruguay and Brazil.

In response to the flu scare, the governing body that runs the Liberator´s Cup had ordered the two Mexican teams to play their scheduled home games at their opponents´ stadiums instead.

The spitting incident



In an earlier game in the Liberator´s Cup series, Hector Reynoso, captain of Guadalajara, spat on a player from the Chilean team Everton. (See video) Guadalajara players said the Chileans had been taunting them about the flu epidemic.

Reynoso apologized for it a few days later. But the incident may have had something to do with the decision of the Latin American football organization´s decision not to play in Mexico. Who knows.

Cartoonists continue to have fun with the crisis. This one is from www.nuestrobarrio.com.mx