Students return to school in Mexico City, mayor's presser

(8 May 2009) SHOTLIST 1. Exterior of Bank of Mexico 2. Mid shot of workers cleaning up outside Bank of Mexico 3. Sign 4. Street vendor with surgical mask 5. Pedestrians 6. Man reading newspaper at kiosk 7. Mexico City Mayor Marcelo Ebrard entering news conference 8. SOUNDBITE: (Spanish) Marcelo Ebrard, Mexico City Mayor: "We have to realise that the economic circumstances in the country are much more difficult than anticipated or predicted from the month of December." 9. Various of pupils arriving at high school 10. Mid of school officials disinfecting pupils' hands on entry 11. Mid pupils waiting outside classroom 12. Pan of pupils in the classroom 13. Various of teacher in class 14. Close of pupil working in her notebook 15. SOUNDBITE (Spanish) Raquel Moreno, Teacher: "I was using my gloves, my mask. I tried to make them conscientious, to motivate them to use the mask but I received a poor response. The young people think it's a temporary situation so they don't take care about the transmission (of swine flu)." 16. Pan newspaper seller 17. Various of newspapers 18. Tilt down from Angel de la Independencia statue to street 19. Various cars passing in Mexico City streets STORYLINE: Mexico appeared to return to normal on Friday, a day after restaurants, cinemas, bars and businesses reopened and students returned to high schools and universities for the first time in two weeks after they were shut following the outbreak of swine flu. However, as cities and communities prepared to resume their daily routine, Mexico confirmed one more death from swine flu, bringing the national death toll to 45. Meanwhile, Mexico's economy continues to suffer as a result of the the swine flu and a decline in exports to the United States. Mexico City Mayor Marcelo Ebrard on Friday said the economic circumstances were "much more difficult than anticipated or predicted from the month of December". Mexico's emergence from a national shutdown also hit some snags. For example, some high schools were not cleaned up in time to open. Mexico's government has said it was not letting its guard down and that all returning students would be checked for swine flu. It gave an additional 15 (m) million US dollars to Mexico's 32 state governments to buy whatever is needed to disinfect classrooms and provided educators with a guide on ways to protect schools from the virus. At a high school in Mexico City, health officials distributed sanitising gel but students were seen without protective masks. A teacher there expressed frustration at having failed to motivate the students to wear masks, saying "the young people think it's a temporary situation so they don't take care about the transmission." Universities reopened in the southern state of Chiapas, but various high schools in isolated mountain communities remained closed because officials could not disinfect them in time. All will open by Monday, said a state education spokesman. Primary schools and day care centres reopen next week, while fans will be allowed to attend soccer games and churches will reopen this weekend, authorities said. Mexico's government said it was not letting its guard down and that all students are being checked for swine flu. Find out more about AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/HowWeWork Twitter:   / ap_archive   Facebook:   / aparchives   ​​ Instagram:   / apnews   You can license this story through AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/metadata/you...