06-05-2009, 03:05 PM
Mexico flew home dozens of its citizens on Tuesday quarantined in China over fears of a new flu virus and announced plans to revive its economy hit by the deadly epidemic, which showed signs of easing.
An Aeromexico plane arrived in Beijing to pick up Mexican nationals there, after taking on dozens in Shanghai. The flight was scheduled to head south to Guangzhou and then to neighboring Hong Kong before flying home.
None of the 70 or so Mexicans quarantined in mainland China have shown symptoms of the H1N1 flu, but they have been caught up in a drama about how far governments should go to stifle fears the virus could creep across their borders.
The row has strained what had been a warming relationship but, with Beijing courting Latin America as a trade and diplomatic partner, the damage appears unlikely to last. Xinhua reported that a Chinese chartered flight had retrieved 79 Chinese nationals in Mexico City before heading to Tijuana, where it was expected to pick up 20 more. China has suspended direct scheduled flights to Mexico.
Mexico is considered the epicenter of the flu outbreak that has infected more than 1,200 people in 21 countries over the past week. To date, 27 deaths have been officially confirmed -- 26 in Mexico and one in the United States -- though more than 100 are suspected to have died from the flu. Its global spread has kept alive fears of a possible pandemic, although scientists say this strain does not appear more deadly than seasonal flu. Other flu-affected nations also have had citizens caught up in China's quarantine measures.
A spokesman for the US Embassy in Beijing, Richard Buangan, said at least four US citizens were quarantined at one point "but most of them have been released". The United States had not issued any protest over the matter, he said.
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Ma Zhaoxu told a news conference 25 Canadian students were also in quarantine in a northeast Chinese city but had shown no flu symptoms.
An official with the Canadian embassy in Beijing said his government knew of the quarantine in a hotel in Changchun, but he put the number of students affected at 22. The students from the University of Montreal came to China last week for language studies, according to Canadian news reports.
South Korea confirmed its second case of H1N1 flu, a nun who had been in contact with the first patient, Health Ministry officials said on Tuesday. The first patient was a 51-year-old nun who had visited Mexico and showed symptoms after returning to South Korea. She has since recovered.
Mexican President Felipe Calderon announced a stimulus package, including a temporary tax cut for cruise lines visiting Mexico, in a bid to lure back shiploads of foreign visitors.
The new H1N1 flu strain has walloped the tourism sector, accounting for 8 percent of Mexico's economy, prompting major operators like Carnival Cruise Lines to cancel visits. Calderon said details of the stimulus plan would be given in coming days, telling the nation in a televised broadcast: "We're going to come out of this experience successfully and soon."
He repeated government assurances that Mexico was over the worst of its own epidemic.
Calderon condemned the quarantine measures against Mexican citizens overseas as "discriminatory."
A convoy of ambulances transport Mexican passengers who were held in quarantine in a hotel to the Pudong International Airport in Shanghai for repatriation on Tuesday.
WHO says 1,124 cases of swine flu confirmed in humans
The World Health Organization (WHO) has raised its tally of confirmed human cases of swine flu to 1,124 from 1,025. There have been 26 confirmed deaths. The global body says 21 countries have now reported laboratory-confirmed cases. The United States has 286 cases and one death. Mexico has reported 590 cases and 25 deaths. According to the latest figures on Tuesday, Canada has 140 cases, Spain has 54, Britain has 18, Germany has eight, New Zealand has six, France and Israel have four each, Italy and El Salvador have two each. Austria, Hong Kong, Costa Rica, Colombia, Denmark, Ireland, Netherlands, Portugal, South Korea and Switzerland have one each. WHO figures are often behind those reported by national health authorities.
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An Aeromexico plane arrived in Beijing to pick up Mexican nationals there, after taking on dozens in Shanghai. The flight was scheduled to head south to Guangzhou and then to neighboring Hong Kong before flying home.
None of the 70 or so Mexicans quarantined in mainland China have shown symptoms of the H1N1 flu, but they have been caught up in a drama about how far governments should go to stifle fears the virus could creep across their borders.
The row has strained what had been a warming relationship but, with Beijing courting Latin America as a trade and diplomatic partner, the damage appears unlikely to last. Xinhua reported that a Chinese chartered flight had retrieved 79 Chinese nationals in Mexico City before heading to Tijuana, where it was expected to pick up 20 more. China has suspended direct scheduled flights to Mexico.
Mexico is considered the epicenter of the flu outbreak that has infected more than 1,200 people in 21 countries over the past week. To date, 27 deaths have been officially confirmed -- 26 in Mexico and one in the United States -- though more than 100 are suspected to have died from the flu. Its global spread has kept alive fears of a possible pandemic, although scientists say this strain does not appear more deadly than seasonal flu. Other flu-affected nations also have had citizens caught up in China's quarantine measures.
A spokesman for the US Embassy in Beijing, Richard Buangan, said at least four US citizens were quarantined at one point "but most of them have been released". The United States had not issued any protest over the matter, he said.
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Ma Zhaoxu told a news conference 25 Canadian students were also in quarantine in a northeast Chinese city but had shown no flu symptoms.
An official with the Canadian embassy in Beijing said his government knew of the quarantine in a hotel in Changchun, but he put the number of students affected at 22. The students from the University of Montreal came to China last week for language studies, according to Canadian news reports.
South Korea confirmed its second case of H1N1 flu, a nun who had been in contact with the first patient, Health Ministry officials said on Tuesday. The first patient was a 51-year-old nun who had visited Mexico and showed symptoms after returning to South Korea. She has since recovered.
Mexican President Felipe Calderon announced a stimulus package, including a temporary tax cut for cruise lines visiting Mexico, in a bid to lure back shiploads of foreign visitors.
The new H1N1 flu strain has walloped the tourism sector, accounting for 8 percent of Mexico's economy, prompting major operators like Carnival Cruise Lines to cancel visits. Calderon said details of the stimulus plan would be given in coming days, telling the nation in a televised broadcast: "We're going to come out of this experience successfully and soon."
He repeated government assurances that Mexico was over the worst of its own epidemic.
Calderon condemned the quarantine measures against Mexican citizens overseas as "discriminatory."
A convoy of ambulances transport Mexican passengers who were held in quarantine in a hotel to the Pudong International Airport in Shanghai for repatriation on Tuesday.
WHO says 1,124 cases of swine flu confirmed in humans
The World Health Organization (WHO) has raised its tally of confirmed human cases of swine flu to 1,124 from 1,025. There have been 26 confirmed deaths. The global body says 21 countries have now reported laboratory-confirmed cases. The United States has 286 cases and one death. Mexico has reported 590 cases and 25 deaths. According to the latest figures on Tuesday, Canada has 140 cases, Spain has 54, Britain has 18, Germany has eight, New Zealand has six, France and Israel have four each, Italy and El Salvador have two each. Austria, Hong Kong, Costa Rica, Colombia, Denmark, Ireland, Netherlands, Portugal, South Korea and Switzerland have one each. WHO figures are often behind those reported by national health authorities.
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