Matamoros pharmacists struggle with demand; restaurants hurting

The lunch hour rush at the Chinese restaurant Santa Fe in downtown Matamoros peaked at two people. Amid fears of swine flu, the normally bustling Matamoros was unusually quiet on Tuesday afternoon.

Jorge Lee, the restaurant's manager, said business has already dropped as much as 50 percent and he expects the situation to get worse before it improves.

"We are hurting," Lee said. "We have banquets and meetings, but they've all been canceled. Not just here, everyone is losing business."

The Gateway International Bridge had few crossing on foot into Mexico. Most of the few pedestrians who were out wore masks and carried with them medical supplies from Brownsville.

Immediately across the bridge, a government representative who declined to give his office handed out pamphlets on influenza.

A few days ago the city's pharmacies were swamped with requests for masks and Tamiflu, the flu treatment and prevention medicine being recommended by health officials.

Pharmacies quickly sold out of both and are waiting for supplies, which might not arrive for a week or longer, according to Felipe Juarez, pharmacist at Farmacias Benavides.

"We're hoping to get more in maybe two or three days," Juarez said, a blue mask covering his mouth. "All we can do is recommend taking vitamin C."

Across the street Felix Almanza sat idly behind the counter of Farmacia de la Garra. A hand-written sign taped to the window advertises masks, but the streets are mostly empty.

Almanza said since the city closed schools Matamoros has become eerily quiet as it awaits word from the capital.

"There simply isn't any more Tamiflu to sell," Almanza said. "Now they're telling us they could close the bridge."

Where Matamoros has fallen silent, downtown Brownsville was lively with shoppers. Gerica Medical Supplies has been swamped with requests for masks. The store deals in durable equipment, but the demand is too high to ignore, said Michelle Salinas, a store clerk.

"Too many to count," Salinas said of the calls she's been receiving. "If I had to guess I'd say we get an average of two calls every five minutes."

Across Mexico an increasing number of shutdowns are being ordered, including movie theaters, zoos and museums, and in Mexico City, restaurants are now being directed to serve only takeout food.

In Matamoros, such measures have not taken place in restaurants, yet, but the wait staff at Santa Fe has taken precautions, such as wearing face masks and declining handshakes.

"People are scared," Lee said. "It's better not to shake hands."