Some 25,000 people lost their jobs due to the previous closure of more than 2,500 restaurants in Mexico City amid the A/H1N1 flu fears, authorities said on Friday.

President of the National Chamber of the Restaurant Industry and Seasoned Food (Canirac), Francisco Mijares, said the slow reactivation of the economic activities in Mexico City was not felt in restaurants despite reopening two weeks ago.

The global financial crisis has affected the tourist and restaurant sector, but "the final shoot" was the suspension of the services for 10 days due to the A/H1N1 flu, Mijares said.

Mijares has urged the government of Mexico City to launch a strong campaign to restore confidence in the citizens to eat at restaurants which poses no health risks now.

Isaias Gonzalez, chief the Revolutionary Confederations of Workers and Peasants (CROC), said the 25,000 waiters who lost their jobs had not received the aid promised by the city government.

Mexico City Mayor Marcelo Ebrard said that he would meet with Gonzalez to find out exactly how many waiters had not received the aid.

Ebrard said his government gave 9.250 million pesos (some 700,000 U.S. dollars) in aid to these unemployed waiters.

(Xinhua News Agency May 23, 2009)