Mexico is urging businesses to close for five days, telling people to stay home, and shuttering non-essential services for several days, as the World Health Organization (WHO) has all but declared Swine Flu a pandemic. Meanwhile, in the United States, the number of Swine Flu cases rose to 109. President Barack Obama said that the government was “taking the utmost precautions and preparation” to contain and destroy the virus. Mexican President Felipe Calderon said only hospitals, supermarkets, and pharmacies will stay open, and only police and soldiers will be working. He urged Mexicans to stay in their homes to help prevent the virus from spreading. “There will be no government activities — those that are not fundamental for citizens — nor any private-sector activities that are not fundamental to common life,” Calderon said Wednesday night in a televised address. “There is no safer place to protect yourself against catching swine flu than in your house.”
