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8 May, 2009 09:15

Mexico trip can prolong your holiday

In the U.S., employers are enforcing their own quarantine restrictions on staff who have traveled to Mexico where the swine flu outbreak started.

One such is computer programmer Alex Bolobine, who had to work from home as he was put under temporary quarantine following a weeklong holiday in Mexico.

"I called my boss and he told me HR issues some special note for everybody who traveled to Mexico to stay under quarantine for three days at least to see if you develop any symptoms,” Bolobine said.

Type your cut contents here.Alex and his wife Ksenya flew to Mexico April 25th, just as the virus outbreak began unfolding.

“When the plane came, it was probably 10 people at most, coming from New York to Cancun,” Alex said.

There are roughly 4,000 flights per week between the U.S. and Mexico. The financial impact of cancellations due to the H1N1 virus are still being calculated.

However, U.S. airlines reduced departures to Mexico by up to 40 per cent.

Swine Flu is also plaguing the wedding industry. Nervous brides and grooms, who planned to get married in Mexico are reportedly bailing out left and right, forfeiting deposits, and relocating to another Caribbean location.

“When we came to the hotel to take a room, and we asked 'do you have any rooms,' the guy just laughed at us. Hysterically. He was saying, only cancellations. That’s all they have. They have many rooms. How many you need?” Alex said.

The outbreak has cost Mexico an estimated $ 2.2 billion. Finance officials have unveiled a 1.3 billion dollar stimulus package to help restart the economy and counter negative publicity.

Meanwhile, Alex heads back to work, unsure if he’ll be compensated for his mandatory quarantine.

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