WOOHOO I made it past the Beijing Intl Airport H1N1 Flu health checks!
These new checks involved 3 extra steps before you go through customs.
The first was when the health officials entered the plane with forehead temperature zappers. As seen in the picture, they held the zapper 1cm from forehead to test for temperature. When every single person was cleared of a temperature on the plane, we were allowed to exit the plane to Step 2.

Step 2 is when we handed over our health cards stating our self-reported health conditions, itinerary for the next 7 days, emergency contacts and all lodging addresses. After this card was stamped, we were alllowed to go through the 3rd step - which was a temperature check. After these 3 - then we stood in line at customs.

Now these extra 3 health checks may sound really intense, but it was not a long process. It was rather quiet efficient. China is not always known for being efficient, but i belief this could be reflective of a new China. . I can’t even imagine the levels of bureaucracy that would happen if all US airports had to health checks on all international flights ( which the US SHOULD be doing on all departing intl flights with the H1N1 flu being more of a problem in the US than any other country). My entire deplaning time from landing to luggage retrieval took 53 minutes - which is how much time it usually takes without the additional Health and Quarantine check system.
All the lines were short - no more than 7 people in front of me for the longest line. And the most pleasant part - all the health officials were really lovely! Some were even smiling! It felt more pleasant entering into China than crossing into the US from Mexico - sometimes the US immigration officials are rude. So keep up with the lovely presentation China - it’a a great image to keep up!

I am just so happy that not a single person was sick on my plane- because if one person EVEN tested for a high temperature, than we all would’ve been quarantined.

I don’t think I could’ve ever been more excited to see this happy sign RELAX - gonna get your luggage!

I’m flying into beijing in 3 hours. My grandma is making me bring this mouth-cover. these don’t help. She made me bring this to Canada during the height of the panic 3 weeks ago. Well wish me luck throught the health checks in Beijing! I definitely won’t be wearing this when I go through :)

I’m following Veratect (Veratect) on Twitter for the latest updates on the piggie flu in Mexico. Veratect is testing all the samples that Mexico is sending over so they seem to be ahead of the media in releasing information from their labs.

Veratect’s twittered two hours ago that the Mexican Government has stopped issuing US visas to its citizens. Confirmed here.

They have one of the most thorough timeslines that I could find online about the situation in Mexico. From their post, I will able to find out the name of the hospital where the first reported death took place in Oaxaca. Thankfully it’s geographically far from where I work in Oaxaca - so the pueblo I work in seems to be far enough. But I can’t help but be worried about my friends and the families I know. The pueblo I work in doesn’t raise pigs - so that’s a good thing. But still…I have a few worries in the back of my mind.

This articles states that people in OAxaca City are not panicking like people in Mexico City, where all shcools have been shut down until May 6th,

“En las calles, camiones, centros comerciales, hospitales y mercados, se observan algunos niños, jóvenes, adultos y personas de la tercera edad con cubrebocas.
Sin embargo, la precaución con este producto sólo se observa en algunos cuantos oaxaqueños, porque la mayoría no lo utiliza.”

It says that in Oaxaca City  - while some people are wearing mouthcovers in the streets, buses, commercial centers, and hospitals,  most people are not wearing them.

Well I hope that all these reports will be contained.  I wasn’t too happy to read this blogpost about this person’s friend who works in Oaxaca who says:

“Friends working in hospitals say that the situation is really bad, they are talking about 19 people dead in Oaxaca, including a doctor and a nurse
Alvaro Ricardez, Oaxaca City

I think there is a real lack of information and sadly, preventative action. In the capital of my state, Oaxaca, there is a hospital closed because of a death related to the porcine influenza. In the papers they recognise only two people dead for that cause. Many friends working in hospitals or related fields say that the situation is really bad, they are talking about 19 people dead in Oaxaca, including a doctor and a nurse. They say they got shots but they were told not to talk about the real situation. Our authorities say nothing. Life goes on as usual here.

Young people are going to schools and universities. Buses and planes go and come from Mexico City as frequently as before. Even with two people dead locally, last night the local baseball stadium was full, mainly with young people. What’s really happening? I know vaccines are good for nothing, and if you take care, maybe you won’t die, so, why not acknowledge the real situation? I know that the economic situation is not the best, and it will worsen with panic. But panic comes from a lack of information. Many people travel for pleasure or without any real need. Stopping those unjustified trips can help a lot to ease the situation. We must do something!
Alvaro Ricardez, Oaxaca City, Oaxaca, Mexico”

Blogs can be ahead of the media in news reporting.