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| Version 5 | Version 6 |
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| France urges Mexican flight ban | France urges Mexican flight ban |
| (about 7 hours later) | |
| France says it will request an EU-wide ban on all flights to Mexico, source of the swine flu outbreak. | |
| The move follows confirmation of new cases in Germany, Austria, Britain and Spain. Many, if not all, of those infected have recently been to Mexico. | The move follows confirmation of new cases in Germany, Austria, Britain and Spain. Many, if not all, of those infected have recently been to Mexico. |
| French Health Minister Roselyne Bachelot said France would push for the flight ban at a meeting of EU health ministers on Thursday. | French Health Minister Roselyne Bachelot said France would push for the flight ban at a meeting of EU health ministers on Thursday. |
| However World Health Organization (WHO) officials say a ban may be pointless. | |
| "We will ask our European colleagues to consider the suspension of flights going to Mexico," Ms Bachelot said, after talks with President Nicolas Sarkozy. | "We will ask our European colleagues to consider the suspension of flights going to Mexico," Ms Bachelot said, after talks with President Nicolas Sarkozy. |
| She said there was no suggestion yet of stopping flights from Mexico back to the EU, which would leave Europeans stranded there or force them to find other ways home. | She said there was no suggestion yet of stopping flights from Mexico back to the EU, which would leave Europeans stranded there or force them to find other ways home. |
| A UK Department for Transport spokesperson said any decision to suspend flights would be a matter for individual EU member states. | |
| "We're taking advice from the WHO. If member states decide to suspend flights they will have to do it individually," the spokesperson told BBC News. | |
| 'Not effective' | 'Not effective' |
| There has been some confusion over whether travel restrictions would be effective in preventing the spread of swine flu. | There has been some confusion over whether travel restrictions would be effective in preventing the spread of swine flu. |
| EU Health Commissioner Androulla Vassiliou on Monday advised people to "avoid non-essential travel" to the most affected areas, but was then forced to row back and state that this was personal, not official, advice. | EU Health Commissioner Androulla Vassiliou on Monday advised people to "avoid non-essential travel" to the most affected areas, but was then forced to row back and state that this was personal, not official, advice. |
| Nevertheless, several countries, including the UK, have advised citizens against non-essential travel to Mexico. | Nevertheless, several countries, including the UK, have advised citizens against non-essential travel to Mexico. |
| This is despite the recommendation of WHO's assistant director-general Keiji Fukuda, who said trying to contain the virus by enforcing travel restrictions "is not a feasible option". | This is despite the recommendation of WHO's assistant director-general Keiji Fukuda, who said trying to contain the virus by enforcing travel restrictions "is not a feasible option". |
| "Instituting travel bans would really not be very effective as the virus has already spread to several other countries," he said. | "Instituting travel bans would really not be very effective as the virus has already spread to several other countries," he said. |
| Watchful | Watchful |
| So far Mexico and the US are the only countries where victims of the virus have died. | So far Mexico and the US are the only countries where victims of the virus have died. |
| The first US death was reported on Wednesday. In Mexico seven deaths have been confirmed - but scores are still under investigation. | The first US death was reported on Wednesday. In Mexico seven deaths have been confirmed - but scores are still under investigation. |
| On Wednesday Germany reported three confirmed cases, and Austria one, making them the third and fourth European nations hit by swine flu. | On Wednesday Germany reported three confirmed cases, and Austria one, making them the third and fourth European nations hit by swine flu. |
| The German victims include two women, aged 22 and 37, and a man in his 30s. All had recently returned from Mexico. | The German victims include two women, aged 22 and 37, and a man in his 30s. All had recently returned from Mexico. |
| German authorities say there is no need to panic - and that they have sufficient stocks of anti-flu drugs to protect the population, says the BBC's Tristana Moore in Berlin. | German authorities say there is no need to panic - and that they have sufficient stocks of anti-flu drugs to protect the population, says the BBC's Tristana Moore in Berlin. |
| But the country is bracing itself for more cases and is increasing its watchfulness at airports like Hamburg and Frankfurt. | But the country is bracing itself for more cases and is increasing its watchfulness at airports like Hamburg and Frankfurt. |
| Meanwhile the UK says it has three more cases - making five in total. | Meanwhile the UK says it has three more cases - making five in total. |
| Mild symptoms | Mild symptoms |
| UK Prime Minister Gordon Brown said the new British cases - two adults and a 12-year-old girl - were all in England. He said all three had mild symptoms and were responding well to treatment. | UK Prime Minister Gordon Brown said the new British cases - two adults and a 12-year-old girl - were all in England. He said all three had mild symptoms and were responding well to treatment. |
| Spain's health ministry announced two more cases on Wednesday, making four in total, but said they were "not serious because they are responding well to treatment". | Spain's health ministry announced two more cases on Wednesday, making four in total, but said they were "not serious because they are responding well to treatment". |
| In Portugal, a three-year-old boy who arrived from the United States last week is the country's first suspected case, local media have reported. | In Portugal, a three-year-old boy who arrived from the United States last week is the country's first suspected case, local media have reported. |
| On Tuesday EU Health Commissioner Androulla Vassiliou said suspected cases were also being investigated in the Republic of Ireland, Denmark, Italy, Sweden, Greece and the Czech Republic. | On Tuesday EU Health Commissioner Androulla Vassiliou said suspected cases were also being investigated in the Republic of Ireland, Denmark, Italy, Sweden, Greece and the Czech Republic. |
| In Geneva, the World Health Organization is holding an emergency review of the swine flu outbreak, and said it might raise its pandemic alert level to phase five - the second highest - if it turned out that the disease was being spread in at least two countries, the Associated Press reported. | In Geneva, the World Health Organization is holding an emergency review of the swine flu outbreak, and said it might raise its pandemic alert level to phase five - the second highest - if it turned out that the disease was being spread in at least two countries, the Associated Press reported. |