Nothing Much Going Right
Mexico is getting hammered by circumstances, many beyond control, others amenable to control if the political will is there, but all together marking the country as a dismal nation assailed by both natural phenomenon, biological pandemic terror, a drug-related outbreak of gangland murders, and a financial mess shared by the world at large. Now Mexico is sharing with the world at large its steadily-growing threat of death-by-swine-flu infection.
As though its venue as a vacation spot hadn't been assailed sufficiently by the well armed thugs roaming the streets, murdering other thugs at will and passersby at random. Now Mexico City, one of the world's largest, most populous metropolises with 20-million people is slowly shutting down in a desperate bid to bring the infection to a halt. Over one hundred and fifty people have died so far. People are confining themselves to their homes.
In public they wear surgical masks, handed out by soldiers, across the city. Schools, movie theatres and a whole host of public venues have been closed down. In a sports-enthusiastic country, the huge Aztec Stadium, seating 105,000 will play to empty seats when clubs America and Tecos face off. Mass is cancelled at churches throughout the city, televised for the faithful.
The mayor of the city is seriously considering shutting down the mass transit system. Restaurants are no longer busy serving the usual throngs; extended families out for traditional Sunday dinners. The World Health Organization is now resigned to the reality that containment of a recognized new strain of swine flu "is not a feasible option". The deadly virus has spread, to the United States, to Canada, and a handful of other countries.
A popular tourist spot, people are arriving home to discover they're exhibiting symptoms of flu, feeling miserable, and fearful. Several cases as far afield as Israel have been isolated. Causing the WHO to raise its alert to a level short of declaring a full pandemic state, with its acting assistant director general for health, security and the environment warning of the seriousness of the situation.
And in the midst of all this misfortune, in steps capricious nature to produce an earthquake in the magnitude of 5.6, jolting people to instant attention and evacuation from the hoped-for-safety of their homes, reminding the population of their vulnerability from a host of sources. No damage from the quake, other than severely frayed nerves.
The economy already reeling from the fall-out of the world financial collapse has seen tourism drop as sun-and-beach-seekers evince their uncertainty over Mexico's well-publicized and growing murder rate. Now, with tourists bringing home more than was anticipated from their brief holiday sojourn, it isn't likely that tourism will be picking up again anytime soon.
Those brave - or foolhardy - souls arriving and departing Mexico sport a new fashion at the international airport, surgical face masks handed out for instant use, and a reminder over loudspeakers that anyone recognizing flu-like symptoms in their newly-ailing bodies should change their travel plans makes for more excitement than people really want.
As though its venue as a vacation spot hadn't been assailed sufficiently by the well armed thugs roaming the streets, murdering other thugs at will and passersby at random. Now Mexico City, one of the world's largest, most populous metropolises with 20-million people is slowly shutting down in a desperate bid to bring the infection to a halt. Over one hundred and fifty people have died so far. People are confining themselves to their homes.
In public they wear surgical masks, handed out by soldiers, across the city. Schools, movie theatres and a whole host of public venues have been closed down. In a sports-enthusiastic country, the huge Aztec Stadium, seating 105,000 will play to empty seats when clubs America and Tecos face off. Mass is cancelled at churches throughout the city, televised for the faithful.
The mayor of the city is seriously considering shutting down the mass transit system. Restaurants are no longer busy serving the usual throngs; extended families out for traditional Sunday dinners. The World Health Organization is now resigned to the reality that containment of a recognized new strain of swine flu "is not a feasible option". The deadly virus has spread, to the United States, to Canada, and a handful of other countries.
A popular tourist spot, people are arriving home to discover they're exhibiting symptoms of flu, feeling miserable, and fearful. Several cases as far afield as Israel have been isolated. Causing the WHO to raise its alert to a level short of declaring a full pandemic state, with its acting assistant director general for health, security and the environment warning of the seriousness of the situation.
And in the midst of all this misfortune, in steps capricious nature to produce an earthquake in the magnitude of 5.6, jolting people to instant attention and evacuation from the hoped-for-safety of their homes, reminding the population of their vulnerability from a host of sources. No damage from the quake, other than severely frayed nerves.
The economy already reeling from the fall-out of the world financial collapse has seen tourism drop as sun-and-beach-seekers evince their uncertainty over Mexico's well-publicized and growing murder rate. Now, with tourists bringing home more than was anticipated from their brief holiday sojourn, it isn't likely that tourism will be picking up again anytime soon.
Those brave - or foolhardy - souls arriving and departing Mexico sport a new fashion at the international airport, surgical face masks handed out for instant use, and a reminder over loudspeakers that anyone recognizing flu-like symptoms in their newly-ailing bodies should change their travel plans makes for more excitement than people really want.
Labels: Environment, Health, Whoops
posted by Pieface @ 5:50 PM
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