Flu impact on economy, steps to jump start economy

(5 May 2009) AP Television Mexico City 1. Pan of sign at school entrance 2. Wide man sweeping yard 3. Various of stand with newspaper headlines announcing return to classes in upcoming days Cepropie Puebla 4. Various of ceremony to commemorate the Battle of Puebla, band playing 5. SOUNDBITE (Spanish) Felipe Calderon , President of Mexico: "Today, almost a century and a half after this battle, Mexico faces a new threat, this time a very different one, an unprecedented threat, specifically the emergence and spread of an epidemic that endangered the lives and heath of Mexican families. Over the last few days, our country focused a great deal of its energy in facing this new disease, new for Mexico and new for the world, unknown to the world." 6. Various of event to commemorate battle of Puebla 7. Medium of press conference by health secretariat, Secretary of Economy Gerardo Ruiz Mateos and finance minister Augustin Carstens 8. SOUNDBITE (Spanish) Augustin Carstens, Finance Secretary: "The quantified sum of the loss in economic activity in Mexico is near 30 billion pesos (2.2 billion US dollars.)" AP Television Mexico City 9. Tilt down to municipal workers holding banner 10. Close of worker cleaning interior of bus 11. Mexico City Mayor Marcelo Ebrard disembarking from bus 12. Wide employees and press at bus station 13. Ebrard pressure cleaning wall 14. Municipal workers cleaning bus station 15. SOUNDBITE: (Spanish) Marcelo Ebrard, Mayor of Mexico City: "We have to perform a huge cleaning task and a permanent sanitary control. It's not enough what we do today, we are going to have to do it permanently." 16. Wide workers at UNAM (Mexico National Autonomous University) carrying buckets 17. Wide worker entering university 18. Workers cleaning computer equipment 19. Close-up of worker wiping computer down 20. Worker with fumigation equipment 21. Close-up of worker putting on rubber gloves 22. Worker entering room to fumigate 23. Worker fumigating room 24. Wide of street in Roma neighbourhood 25. Close-up of man drinking coffee on pavement 26. Wide man drinking coffee 27. Close of sign, reading: (Spanish) "Open only for take out" 28. Wide of people walking STORYLINE Mexico announced steps on Tuesday to jump start an economy punished by the swine flu epidemic. Cinco de Mayo celebrations, however, will have to wait until next year. Events surrounding the holiday remained cancelled even though no deaths have been reported for the last five days and the country prepared to reopen for business. Mexican Finance Secretary Augustin Carstens, who unveiled plans to stimulate key industries and fight bans on Mexican pork products, said persuading tourists to come back will be a top priority as Mexico tries to rebuild confidence in the country. He said the economy had lost around 30 billion pesos (2.2 billion US dollars) as a result of the epidemic. Traffic picked up in the capital, fewer people wore surgical masks and some cafes reopened ahead of time on Tuesday, the final day of a nationwide shutdown meant to reduce the spread of virus. Flu experts said the tough measures have helped, but some worried of a potential rebound as crowds gather again. Tuesday's cancelled events included Mexico's largest re-enactment of the May 5, 1862, victory over invading French troops in the central state of Puebla. President Felipe Calderon compared the threats in a speech to the nation on Tuesday. Carstens announced a 1.3 (b) billion US dollar stimulus package, mostly for small businesses and tourism, the sectors hardest hit by the epidemic. 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...