Argentina ranks third in terms of confirmed swine flu deaths, behind the U.S. and Mexico, according to data from the World Health Organization and U.S. Centers for Disease Control.
The emergency declaration gives Buenos Aires city health authorities expanded power to cut through red tape to buy medical supplies or to take other measures they deem necessary. Buenos Aires officials said they would add two additional weeks, starting next Monday, to schools' winter vacations, which had previously been scheduled to start July 20 and run to the end of the month.
"I ask kids to stay in their houses and avoid large groups of people to avoid contagion," said Mayor Mauricio Macri. Authorities from surrounding, separately governed Buenos Aires province said they too were imposing the emergency measures.
The announcement in the capital came one day after federal Health Minister Graciela Ocana resigned, under fire for the government's handling of swine flu and a previous outbreak of mosquito-borne dengue fever. Argentine news reports said Ms. Ocana had recommended postponing midterm elections, but was overruled. The elections took place Sunday, and many poll workers donned surgical masks. Analysts said the swine flu problem, hitting the nation on the heels of the dengue outbreak, has laid bare inadequacies of the national health system, which has fallen victim to the country's recurrent economic crises.
Matt Mofett ( Wall street Journal )
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