New York City closes 40 schools to slow spread of A/H1N1 flu

The Health Commissioner Thomas R. Frieden and Schools Chancellor Joel I. Klein on Friday discussed the rationale behind closing individual New York City schools in response to the presence of the A/H1N1 virus in New York City. All evidence suggests that the new virus is causing a large proportion of the city's current flu cases, says the press release. The main goal of school closures is to protect those at highest risk of complications from flu in that particular school community - students, staff, and their close contacts who are under 2 or over 65 years of age, pregnant, or who have a chronic medical condition such as asthma or diabetes, says the press release. "School closure is not done with the expectation that it will interrupt the spread of flu in the city as a whole." "The new A/H1N1 virus is here in New York City," said Frieden. "Many school children have mild flu, as they do each flu season. We are closing certain schools in an effort to slow transmission within the school community and protect those at highest risk of complications from flu"; Kazinform cites Xinhua. See www.chinaview.cn for full version