(Adds Carstens quote, government workers to be sent home)
MEXICO CITY, April 29 (Reuters) - The Mexican government
called on Wednesday for all businesses that are not crucial to
the economy or public safety to close between May 1-5 to help
contain the deadly swine flu outbreak.
Health Minister Jose Angel Cordova urged "the suspension of
non-essential work and services," to avoid people gathering and
spreading a swine flu virus which has killed up to 176 people
in Mexico.
Government ministers said food, medical, financial and
transportation sectors would be among those not affected but
did not make clear which parts of the economy should close
down.
Although the shutdown will last for five days, the period
includes a weekend and the May 1 public holiday.
"What we are looking for is for this to be as wide as
possible so it can have an impact on the objective of breaking
the reproductive cycle of the virus in the widest possible
way," Finance Minister Agustin Carstens said.
As many government workers as possible will be sent home
but key public sectors like oil production, the police and the
army will work as normal, Carstens said.
The World Health Organization said the world is on the
brink of a pandemic, raising its threat level as the swine flu
virus spread and killed the first person outside of Mexico, a
toddler in Texas.
(Reporting by Alistair Bell, Editing by Sandra Maler)
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