Mexican Flu toll rockets to 149, infections at 1614 - All Business Shutdown on Monday

SHOOT: There is some hesitation on this which is not warranted. The WHO needs to declared this a PHASE 4 epidemic. It's a very dangerous virus and it's spreading. The level of alarm needs to be much higher. There should be no doubt as to whether businesses in Mexico should be open or not.
Mexico has also suffered a big quake today - 6 on the Richter scale.

clipped from www.channelnewsasia.com MEXICO CITY: Mexican authorities on Monday shuttered schools across the country on Monday in a bid to stop the spread of swine flu, as the probable death toll rose to 149, and a strong earthquake struck the country. "There are 149 who have died that we're investigating to allow us to confirm" that they meet the strict criteria that defines swine flu, Health Minister Jose Angel Cordova said. Officials have confirmed 20 people died from the disease. The number of cases under observation in Mexico has reached 1,614. With the Mexican capital's zoos, museums, churches, courts and many restaurants already closed in the urban area of some 20 million, Mexico City aimed to shut down businesses too on Monday, despite an economy hard hit by the economic crisis and already suffering from the flu outbreak.