Update on Flu Outbreak in Mexico – Center for Disease Control Issues Travel Notice for Mexico; All Schools Closed and Nonessential Consular and Visa Services in Mexico Suspended until May 6

April 27, 2009

The U.S. Center for Disease Control (CDC) recommended on April 27, 2009 that U.S. citizens defer all nonessential travel to Mexico because of the outbreak of H1N1 “swine” influenza. The CDC Travel Notice which advises U.S. citizens of the health risks that may be involved with travel to Mexico and provides a list of precautions travelers and U.S. citizen residents in Mexico can take to reduce their risk of infection, can be found at the CDC website at

http://www.cdc.gov/travel/contentSwineFluMexico.aspx

The U.S. State Department has issued a travel alert that can be found at http://travel.state.gov. On April 27, the Government of Mexico announced that as a precautionary measure, all schools throughout the country from kindergarten through university level will remain closed until May 6. All government-sponsored events involving large crowds in Mexico City have also been canceled, and

museums and most tourist attractions are closed.

The U.S. Embassy in Mexico City and all U.S. Consulates throughout the country have suspended all non-essential services to the public until May 6. Consular services for U.S. citizens will be limited to emergency assistance and to citizenship applications (passports and consular reports of birth abroad, or CRBA). Notarial and other routine services will not be available; anyone with passport or CRBA appointments is encouraged but not required to reschedule to a later date. Additionally, Federal Benefits Units are requesting all persons to postpone interviews on Social Security claims. The Embassy will monitor this situation continuously during the week and advise before May 6 if this suspension needs to be extended.

The Embassy’s visa unit has suspended all nonimmigrant  visa appointments until May 6. The Embassy will reschedule all nonimmigrant visa appointments which have been made between April 27 and May 5. The Embassy’s scheduling center will call or e-mail applicants to reschedule appointments. Alternatively, applicants may re-schedule visa appointments without being charged by

calling 01-800-719-2525. If there is an emergency visa issue please email visas_mexico@state.gov.

Additionally, U.S. consulates in Mexico will suspend some nonimmigrant visa operations until May 6, but may see a limited number of applicants. More information will be provided on April 28, 2009 about nonimmigrant visa operations at U.S. consulates. If visa operations need to be suspended beyond May 6, we will inform the public as soon as possible. A separate notice about immigrant visa appointments at the U.S. Consulate General in Ciudad Juarez will be issued on April 28, 2009.The Benjamin Franklin Library will be closed to the public. Finally, operations at the U.S. consular agencies throughout Mexico may be curtailed; several are closing to the public entirely for walk-in services, seeing the public

by appointment only. If in doubt, please contact your nearest consular agency directly. The U.S. Embassy reminds U.S. citizens in Mexico that most cases of influenza are not “swine flu”; any specific

questions or concerns about flu or other illnesses should be directed to a medical professional. Mexico City medical authorities urge people to avoid hospitals and clinics unless they have a medical emergency, since hospitals are centers of infection; instead, those with health concerns are encouraged to stay home and call their physicians to avoid potential exposure. Although the U.S. Embassy cannot give medical advice or provide medical services to the public, a list of hospitals and doctors can be found on our website at the following links:

http://mexico.usembassy.gov/sacs_medical_info.html

(Spanish)

http://mexico.usembassy.gov/eng/eacs_medical_info.html

(English)

For additional information, please consult the State Department’s website at www.travel.state.gov, the CDC website at www.cdc.gov, or the website of the World Health Organization at www.who.int. The U.S.-based call center for U.S. citizens can be reached from 8:00 am – 8:00 pm Eastern Daylight Time, M-F, at 1-888-407-4747, or if calling from outside the U.S., at (202)-501-4444. The U.S. Embassy will also post additional information as it becomes available at: http://mexico.usembassy.gov.

U.S. Embassy Mexico City American Citizens Services, Paseo de la Reforma #305

Col Cuauhtemoc; Mexico, D. F., Mexico CP 06500, Tel: (011)(52)(55) 5080-2000

e-mail: ACSMexicoCity@state.gov; website:

http://mexico.usembassy.gov,

Hours: 8:30 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. & 3:00 to 5:00 p.m.

For after-hours, emergencies only, call (011)(52)(55)

5080-2000, ext. “0”, and ask to speak to a duty officer.

Consulates:

􀁺 Ciudad Juarez: Paseo de la Victoria 3650, tel. (52)

(656) 227-3000.

http://ciudadjuarez.usconsulate.gov

􀁺 Guadalajara: Progreso 175, telephone (52)(333)

268-2100. http://guadalajara.usconsulate.gov

􀁺 Hermosillo: Avenida Monterrey 141, telephone (52)

(662) 289-3500. http://hermosillo.usconsulate.gov

􀁺 Matamoros: Avenida Primera 2002, telephone (52)

(868) 812-4402. http://matamoros.usconsulate.gov

􀁺 Merida: Calle 60 no. 338 k, telephone (52)(999)

942-5700.

http://merida.usconsulate.gov

􀁺 Monterrey: Avenida Constitucion 411 Poniente,

telephone (52)(818) 047-3100.

http://monterrey.usconsulate.gov

􀁺 Nogales: Calle San Jose, Nogales, Sonora,

telephone (52)(631) 311-8150.

http://nogales.usconsulate.gov

􀁺 Nuevo Laredo: Calle Allende 3330, col. Jardin,

telephone (52)(867) 714-0512.

http://nuevolaredo.usconsulate.gov/

􀁺 Tijuana: Tapachula 96, telephone (52)(664) 622-

7400. http://tijuana.usconsulate.gov/service.html

Consular Agencies:

􀁺 Acapulco: Hotel Continental Emporio, Costera

Miguel Aleman 121 - local 14, telephone (52)(744)

484-0300 or (52)(744) 469-0556.

􀁺 Cabo San Lucas: Blvd. Marina local c-4, Plaza

Nautica, col. Centro, telephone (52)(624) 143-3566.

􀁺 Cancún: Plaza Caracol two, second level, no. 320-

323, Boulevard Kukulcan, km. 8.5, Zona Hotelera,

telephone (52)(998) 883-0272.

􀁺 Ciudad Acuña: Ocampo # 305, col. Centro,

telephone (52)(877) 772-8661

􀁺 Cozumel: Plaza Villa Mar en el Centro, Plaza

Principal, (Parque Juárez between Melgar and 5th

ave.) 2nd floor, locales #8 and 9, telephone (52)

(987) 872-4574.

􀁺 Ixtapa/Zihuatanejo: Hotel Fontan, Blvd. Ixtapa,

telephone (52)(755) 553-2100.

Mazatlán: Hotel Playa Mazatlán, Playa Gaviotas

#202, Zona Dorada, telephone (52)(669) 916-5889.

􀁺 Oaxaca: Macedonio Alcalá no. 407, interior 20,

telephone (52)(951) 514-3054 (52)(951) 516-2853.

􀁺 Piedras Negras: Abasolo #211, Zona Centro,

Piedras Negras, Coah., Tel. (878) 782-5586.

􀁺 Playa del Carmen: "The Palapa," Calle 1 Sur,

between Avenida 15 and Avenida 20, telephone (52)

(984) 873-0303.

􀁺 Puerto Vallarta: Paradise Plaza, Paseo de los

Cocoteros #1, Local #4, Interior #17, Nuevo

Vallarta, Nayarit, telephone (52)(322) 222-0069.

􀁺 Reynosa: Calle Monterrey #390, Esq. Sinaloa,

Colonia Rodríguez, telephone: (52)(899) 923 - 9331

􀁺 San Luis Potosí: Edificio "Las Terrazas", Avenida

Venustiano Carranza 2076-41, Col. Polanco,

telephone: (52)(444) 811-7802/7803.

􀁺 San Miguel de Allende: Dr. Hernandez Macias

#72, telephone (52)(415) 152-2357 or (52)(415)

152-0068.