GENEVA, Switzerland, April 27 (UPI) -- Countries worldwide are taking precautions to prevent the swine flu outbreak from crossing their borders, the World Health Organization in Geneva said.
WHO officials said they will decide Tuesday whether to raise the pandemic alert level, CNN reported Monday.
The health organization, after an emergency meeting during the weekend, urged countries to watch out for "unusual" outbreaks of the flu that so far had been blamed for 103 deaths in Mexico.
Officials distributed 4 million filter masks in Mexico City, closed schools and universities until further notice, and are considering shutting down public transportation systems. People are asked to avoid large crowds, refrain from kissing and keep a personal space of at least 6 feet. The World Bank is offering $205 million to deal with the outbreak, CNN reported.
China has banned pork imports from Mexico, as well as from California, Kansas and Texas in the United States. Russia has banned all meat imports from Mexico and the southern United States.
In New Zealand, 25 people who returned from a language trip to Mexico were quarantined while the World Health Organization determines whether they have swine flu. Officials also asked New Zealanders who traveled to Mexico or North America during the past two weeks to contact health officials if they begin experiencing flu-like symptoms.
Some countries have issued travel notices, but other countries said officials will meet to determine what, if any, action needs to be taken, CNN reported.
