Algerian Ambassador to Mexico: “The Algerian community immune from swine flu threat”

Algerian Embassy in Mexico has denied any cases of swine flu among the Algerian community there, stressing that the embassy services have taken all necessary precautions including the protection of more than 130 Algerians settled in Mexico city

• The Algerian Ambassador to Mexico Mr Merzak Belhimeur assured families of the Algerian community saying they are protected from the swine flu which affected the world and recorded the highest rates in Mexico, adding that the media exaggerated and that everything is under control and people responded well to orders made by the medical services there.
• The Algerian Ambassador to Mexico told Echorouk during a phone conversation that the embassy premises knew daily contacts by the Algerian community there because they were obliged to stay at homes for 15 days particularly with the beginning of the virus appearance.
• According to Mr Belhimar, the Algerian community is lucky because it contains a few number of immigrants and it is distributed in the Central American countries such as Guatemala and Costa Rica, away from dense populations thing which reduces the risk of the virus transmission, as well as being cautious through urgent calls since the early hours of the spread of the swine flu news.
• The Ambassador also told Echorouk how the Algerian actress Beyouna reacted when she received the news about the swine flu, saying that she was present in Mexico in order to attend the African Film Festival in Latin America, where she participated with “Delice Paloma” movie, which added a comic atmosphere to the festival through her impressions and fear of the swine flu, then she was obliged to leave two days after the visit to Mexico returning back to Paris, because the authorities there took the decision to close all the theatres and cinemas in order to avoid transmission of the virus.
• Despite the number of people infected with the swine flu in Mexico, which reached 60.000 cases since the beginning of the pandemic, leaving 60 deaths, no Algerian, Arab or African died, Mr Belihmar said.
• No Algerian asked government to leave Mexico towards Algeria fearing the swine flu, while the embassy let five Mexicans to visit Algeria after being subjected to the necessary medical tests.
• However, the embassy did not purchase any vaccine on the basis of instructions by the local authorities, which states that people must submit to vaccinations in the hospitals and under medical care in particular, to avoid any mistakes, since the pharmacies were banned from selling the vital nutritional “Mitaflu”.