Mexico drops swine flu alert

Mexico City’s mayor told residents they could “relax” because there had been no new swine flu infections for the last week. The country lowered its swine flu alert level from yellow to green last night. The mayor, Marcelo Ebrard, said the change meant the risk of infection was low, the situation was under control and the images of countless people wearing blue surgical masks around the city could be consigned to history.There's no longer any need to wear masks, Ebrard said, adding: "Now you can come to the city without any risk.

"With fears of an immediate global pandemic fading, Japan, where there have been almost 300 swine flu cases, also relaxed rules amid fears that the strict regulations could harm the economy and put needless restrictions on the public. "It is important to make it possible for the local government to respond flexibly, depending on the situation of the region," the prime minister, Taro Aso, said.

Under the new guidelines, suspected patients in areas where the number of cases are rapidly increasing would be allowed to go to regular medical clinics rather than only designated "fever centres" set up to deal with swine flu, the health minister, Yoichi Masuzoe, said. The World Health Organisation today said that 42 countries had recorded 11,168 cases of swine flu, including 86 deaths, since the outbreak was first noticed in Mexico last month. In Italy, two secondary schools in Rome have been ordered to close for a week after four students caught the H1N1 flu virus on a trip to New York.

In Mexico, where 75 swine flu deaths have occurred, the health authorities said no one had been taken to hospital with respiratory infections in the past three days. There have been no confirmed swine flu cases since May 14. "We are seeing a 96% drop in cases and that's why we are dropping the alert level to green today," the Mexico City health secretary, Armando Ahued, said.

Since the outbreak was declared on 23 April, Mexico City has spent 4.5bn pesos (£217m) on medicine and antibacterial gel and to provide incentives for businesses to shut their doors and to clean public spaces. A total of 4,008 people have been infected in Mexico. The country's confirmed toll has been rising as scientists test a backlog of samples from patients.

By Hayley Jarvis for SOS Children