Latest news on the AH1N1 in Mexico (May 5, 00:00 hrs. central time)

++ Health Secretary José Ángel Córdova Villalobos said that high school and university level classes will resume on Thursday, May 7, and lower level students – kids in primary and secondary levels -- will return to school on Monday, May 11.

The disease alert will remain active until cases of flu infection become sporadic… Córdova Villalobos insisted that citizens must not lower their guard and measures to protect against contagion must continue.

Córdova Villalobos said that 26 deaths from the AH1N1 virus have been confirmed: of these 16 were females and 10 were male. He said that 701 cases of infection from the flu have been confirmed.

++ Education Secretary Alonso Lujambio said that when classes resume authorities will implement health filters in which teachers and parents will take part so as to ensure that children are healthy before they go back to school.

++ The World Health Organization reported 1,085 confirmed cases of AH1N1 virus infection in 21 countries, with Mexico reporting the highest number of cases, followed by the United States, with 286 infections in 36 states.

++ The Federal District government lowered its alarm level from red to orange in Mexico City… This means that activities in restaurants, cafes, small eateries, government offices and the central office for government paperwork in borough headquarters as well as local justice offices, will return to normal on Wednesday, May 6.

++ The Foreign Relations Secretariat said that a plane departed for China with the aim of bringing back Mexican nationals who were quarantined by Chinese authorities because of the influenza outbreak.

++ Mexico made a plea at the United Nations for a halt to xenophobic actions sparked by the AH1N1 influenza epidemic… Mexico said those measures are unscientific and violate human rights.

++ The Mexican Stock Market rose 5.09 percent, its third highest increase this year… The gain was fueled by the drop in the number of AH1N1 infections.