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Concern over swine flu measured among Canadians arriving from Mexico City
By Tamsyn Burgmann, The Canadian Press
TORONTO - As health officials around the world stressed the increasing severity of an international swine flu outbreak, Canadians and visitors flying into Toronto from the epicentre of the illness scare in Mexico City were taking precautions and expressing their own heightened concerns about the contagious virus.
Dozens of passengers who disembarked at Pearson International Airport on Monday night were sporting blue or white masks around their necks that could be quickly pulled over the mouth if necessary.
They were greeted in turn by mask-wearing customs officers, who issued warnings about being on guard for symptoms of infection.
On some flights, travellers were handed a Health Canada pamphlet detailing information on the illness. Some also heard an announcement from their pilot asking them to notify staff if they were feeling unwell and to visit a doctor immediately if they experience sickness in the next seven days.
Several customs officers and flight attendants also wore masks and some passengers entering the country were asked whether they were experiencing any flu-like symptoms.
After spending four days in Mexico City to attend a family funeral, Erick Diaz, 27, from St. Catharines, Ont., said his level of concern is "pretty high."
"I was there a couple days and I knew my baby and my family is here, so of course I was scared about it," he said.
However, he called it "a world problem" and said with cases of the virus appearing in Canada, the U.S., and some European countries, "everybody has to be careful (about) what they are doing."
Harvey Easson, who was returning to Toronto from a four-month trip to a small village in Mexico, said that while nearly everyone appears to be wearing masks in the capital, they continue "going about business as usual."
He noted that he and his wife were handed masks by government officials at the airport before boarding their flight to Canada.
"Everybody's concerned, but it's not like we were walking over bodies of sick people," he said. "That's the way the news makes it seem."
Swine flu is now suspected in more than 100 deaths in Mexico and has sickened a half-dozen people in Canada.
As the illness spreads, Ottawa is considering issuing an advisory warning against non-essential travel to Mexico.
The potential action comes as Canada's top medical official warned Monday of the likelihood more Canadians will catch the virus and some will likely die.
The Public Health Agency of Canada has already issued health alert notices, urging travellers to take precautionary measures such as getting a flu shot, frequently washing their hands, and covering coughs and sneezes.
Air Canada said Monday it would waive change fees for customers with reservations for travel to and from all destinations in Mexico up to May 6, to allow changes in travel plans and allow for travel at a later date.
WestJet said its customers travelling to and from Mexico between now and May 8 could change or cancel the air portion of their travel arrangements at no charge.
On her way back to her Barrie, Ont.-area home, Sherri-Anne Gaudon said she wasn't against a travel advisory.
"If they're not taking precautions elsewhere (to control the outbreak), they probably should (implement an advisory)," she said.
But longtime Mexico City-resident Maria Del Carmen, 74, was convinced the situation looks worse than it appears and is a political issue.
"Many people are going to the doctor, but not many people are dying anymore," she said through her daughter, Ercak Luis, who translated.
"It could be controlled. It's not such a big deal. The government is doing it just to distract people from the (upcoming) elections."
Some travellers landing on flights earlier the day from Cancun - some 1,300 kilometres from Mexico City - were more surprised than concerned by the burgeoning health scare.
"It's sort of weird how we didn't hear about it while we were there," said Danielle Hopkins, 21. "I would have liked to hear in case we did get symptoms."
Honeymooners Nathaniel and Rebecca Drepaul, both 23 and from Brampton, Ont., said they felt slightly worried on the flight when a cough was heard, but otherwise they weren't concerned.
"I think it's a lot of not knowing what's going on right now, because nobody knows where it's coming from," Nathaniel Drepaul said.
Rebecca Drepaul said she wouldn't have known about the growing alarm except for an email from her mother in Canada asking if they were still healthy.
"We were careful while in the resort, we were staying away from people coughing," she said, adding no one at the hotel mentioned the outbreak.
Drew Knight of Toronto said he got the impression that most people in Mexico were unaware of the situation.
"Not many people knew about it," he said. "We just heard from a friend and then we started watching the BBC every day. That's how we tracked it.
"We were concerned about other people being ill and what the reception would be like when we got back."
Newlyweds Meghan and Fitzroy Ford said despite the outbreak, they would head back to Mexico in a flash.
"We had SARS here and we got through that, (so an outbreak) doesn't turn us off at all," Meghan Ford said. "It doesn't turn us off from travelling to Mexico."
More than one million Canadians visit Mexico each year, mostly in the winter.
By Tamsyn Burgmann, The Canadian Press
TORONTO - As health officials around the world stressed the increasing severity of an international swine flu outbreak, Canadians and visitors flying into Toronto from the epicentre of the illness scare in Mexico City were taking precautions and expressing their own heightened concerns about the contagious virus.
Dozens of passengers who disembarked at Pearson International Airport on Monday night were sporting blue or white masks around their necks that could be quickly pulled over the mouth if necessary.
They were greeted in turn by mask-wearing customs officers, who issued warnings about being on guard for symptoms of infection.
On some flights, travellers were handed a Health Canada pamphlet detailing information on the illness. Some also heard an announcement from their pilot asking them to notify staff if they were feeling unwell and to visit a doctor immediately if they experience sickness in the next seven days.
Several customs officers and flight attendants also wore masks and some passengers entering the country were asked whether they were experiencing any flu-like symptoms.
After spending four days in Mexico City to attend a family funeral, Erick Diaz, 27, from St. Catharines, Ont., said his level of concern is "pretty high."
"I was there a couple days and I knew my baby and my family is here, so of course I was scared about it," he said.
However, he called it "a world problem" and said with cases of the virus appearing in Canada, the U.S., and some European countries, "everybody has to be careful (about) what they are doing."
Harvey Easson, who was returning to Toronto from a four-month trip to a small village in Mexico, said that while nearly everyone appears to be wearing masks in the capital, they continue "going about business as usual."
He noted that he and his wife were handed masks by government officials at the airport before boarding their flight to Canada.
"Everybody's concerned, but it's not like we were walking over bodies of sick people," he said. "That's the way the news makes it seem."
Swine flu is now suspected in more than 100 deaths in Mexico and has sickened a half-dozen people in Canada.
As the illness spreads, Ottawa is considering issuing an advisory warning against non-essential travel to Mexico.
The potential action comes as Canada's top medical official warned Monday of the likelihood more Canadians will catch the virus and some will likely die.
The Public Health Agency of Canada has already issued health alert notices, urging travellers to take precautionary measures such as getting a flu shot, frequently washing their hands, and covering coughs and sneezes.
Air Canada said Monday it would waive change fees for customers with reservations for travel to and from all destinations in Mexico up to May 6, to allow changes in travel plans and allow for travel at a later date.
WestJet said its customers travelling to and from Mexico between now and May 8 could change or cancel the air portion of their travel arrangements at no charge.
On her way back to her Barrie, Ont.-area home, Sherri-Anne Gaudon said she wasn't against a travel advisory.
"If they're not taking precautions elsewhere (to control the outbreak), they probably should (implement an advisory)," she said.
But longtime Mexico City-resident Maria Del Carmen, 74, was convinced the situation looks worse than it appears and is a political issue.
"Many people are going to the doctor, but not many people are dying anymore," she said through her daughter, Ercak Luis, who translated.
"It could be controlled. It's not such a big deal. The government is doing it just to distract people from the (upcoming) elections."
Some travellers landing on flights earlier the day from Cancun - some 1,300 kilometres from Mexico City - were more surprised than concerned by the burgeoning health scare.
"It's sort of weird how we didn't hear about it while we were there," said Danielle Hopkins, 21. "I would have liked to hear in case we did get symptoms."
Honeymooners Nathaniel and Rebecca Drepaul, both 23 and from Brampton, Ont., said they felt slightly worried on the flight when a cough was heard, but otherwise they weren't concerned.
"I think it's a lot of not knowing what's going on right now, because nobody knows where it's coming from," Nathaniel Drepaul said.
Rebecca Drepaul said she wouldn't have known about the growing alarm except for an email from her mother in Canada asking if they were still healthy.
"We were careful while in the resort, we were staying away from people coughing," she said, adding no one at the hotel mentioned the outbreak.
Drew Knight of Toronto said he got the impression that most people in Mexico were unaware of the situation.
"Not many people knew about it," he said. "We just heard from a friend and then we started watching the BBC every day. That's how we tracked it.
"We were concerned about other people being ill and what the reception would be like when we got back."
Newlyweds Meghan and Fitzroy Ford said despite the outbreak, they would head back to Mexico in a flash.
"We had SARS here and we got through that, (so an outbreak) doesn't turn us off at all," Meghan Ford said. "It doesn't turn us off from travelling to Mexico."
More than one million Canadians visit Mexico each year, mostly in the winter.