Crowded Businesses Prepare For Swine Flu
In Mexico, authorities closed all schools and urged everyone to avoid crowded areas to stop the spread of the swine flu. Schools and community centers in the U.S. are also closed. Indio High School shutdown, and so are the Indio Teen and Senior Centers. But there are plenty of other places to get sick. Employees at The Community Center at The Tierra del Sol Senior Center in Cathedral City are reminding their members to wash their hands and stay calm.
“We’re just calming fears. You’re ok, everything is fine. Just follow procedures, keep yourself safe and that’s all we can do, and, hopefully, this will pass,” says Jerry Di Noto, Executive Director at the center.
With school closed for a week, there’s a good chance Indio High School students will be at the movies. With summer blockbuster season starting this weekend, you can expect crowds and precautions. Movie studio 20th Century Fox postponed this week’s Mexico City premiere of “X-Men Origins: Wolverine” because of flu fears. Movie theaters in the Coachella Valley won’t go that far. Mary Pickford Theater says they’re telling employees to wash their hands and stay home if they’re sick.
For some, staying home from work is easy, but staying away from the gym may not be. Personal trainer Valya Kindelvich says gyms are cleaner than you’d think. Trainers and members wipe down equipment regularly. She has a suggestion for people who want to stay fit and stay healthy.
“My rule of thumb, whether it’s right or wrong, is if somebody has a fever or if they have a productive cough, then it’s probably a good idea to stay home both for them and other gym members,” says Kindelvich.
Many people in Mexico are wearing masks as an extra protection. It hasn’t come to that here in the Valley, and everyone hopes it doesn’t.
