Mexico City Waits To Reopen H1N1 Fears

MEXICO CITY, Mexico - Residents in Mexico City restlessly waited for life to return to normal as officials from both Mexico and the United States said the worst may be over in the swine flu outbreak. For now.

By Tuesday, the number of confirmed cases of the Influenza A (H1N1) virus stood at 1,085 in 21 countries, according to the World Health Organization. The count includes 25 deaths in Mexico and one in the United States.

Mexican officials, citing improvement in the battle against the virus, announced plans to reopen government offices and restaurants on Wednesday -- and museums, libraries and churches the following day.

In the United States, Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano acknowledged claims by Mexican authorities who believe their cases have peaked and said, "I have no reason to think that is inaccurate."

"What the epidemiologists are seeing now with this particular strain of H1N1 is that the severity of the disease, the severity of the flu -- how sick you get -- is not stronger than regular seasonal flu," she said.

But officials from the World Health Organization and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention plan to monitor developments in the Southern Hemisphere, where flu season arrives over the next few months.

Results there will help determine whether a stronger strain of the virus will return to the United States and the Northern Hemisphere during the fall flu season.

Mexican officials ordered a wide-ranging shutdown of Mexico City last week. The week-long closure encompasses the Cinco de Mayo holiday Tuesday.

University and secondary school students can return to class Thursday while younger students will wait until May 11.