A worker in the Cruz Azul stadium in Mexico City, wearing a face mask, watches a Mexican soccer league match. The stadium is closed to the public as a precaution against swine flu. (Claudio Cruz/Canadian Press)All of Mexico's professional soccer games this weekend will again be played behind closed doors, even though other parts of the country are returning to normal following a shutdown to contain swine flu.
Mexico's 176 league games — from the first to third division — were shuttered last weekend, and three games around the capital were closed to fans the week before.
The Mexican soccer federation said Tuesday that the games would remain closed because government officials had not lifted all preventive measures to stop the spread of swine flu.
"The decision was made in full awareness of the emergency health situation that confronts the country," the federation said in a statement.
Play in the regular season ends this weekend, and officials have not announced the arrangement for post-season matches.
President Felipe Calderon said high schools and universities will reopen on Thursday and younger children will return to school on May 11. Nightclubs and other events that draw large crowds will remain closed.
Two Mexican clubs playing in the final 16 of the Copa Libertadores —- San Luis and Chivas — have had their home matches delayed by at least a week until venues outside Mexico can be found.
San Luis was due to host Nacional of Uruguay, while Sao Paulo was slated to visit Chivas in the first leg fixtures this week.
Away legs are scheduled to be played in Uruguay and Brazil.
