Presbyterian High, Westwood Secondary delay school reopening by a week
Channel NewsAsia- 28 June 2009

SINGAPORE: Westwood Secondary and Presbyterian High will postpone school reopening by a week, after a teacher in each school had tested positive for the H1N1 virus.

Schools in Singapore are set to reopen on Monday, June 29 after a month of holidays, but Westwood Secondary and Presbyterian High will reopen on July 7 - July 6 being Youth Day, a school holiday for secondary schools.

To prevent the spread of disease to other students, the Education Ministry said the staff and students who were in close contact with the infected teachers have been advised to take a Leave of Absence for seven days and to stay home and monitor their health.

As many teachers in the two schools will be on Leave of Absence, the schools will postpone their school reopening and students will have home-based learning lessons.

At Westwood Secondary, a teacher tested positive for the H1N1 virus on June 27. He had taken part in three school activities from June 22 to 26 - an NPCC camp at Pulau Ubin, a Social Studies Workshop and a staff seminar.

The teacher did not have a fever or other symptoms apart from a cough. While he had no fever, the school is taking the extra precautionary measure of placing all students and staff who were in close contact with this teacher on Leave of Absence since June 22, when his cough started.

This includes 74 school staff at the staff seminar. 58 students will also be placed on LOA. These students will be advised to stay at home and to monitor their health closely while they are on LOA.

Over at Presbyterian High, a teacher from the school had seen a doctor on June 23 afternoon when she felt unwell and was given two days of medical leave, from June 24 to 25.

She attended the Staff Symposium on June 26 as she felt well. The teacher went to Tan Tock Seng Hospital on June 27 as she felt unwell again and tested positive for the H1N1 virus on that day.

She was in close contact with teachers from the school on three occasions in the week - discussions with a few teachers on June 22 and 23, and a staff symposium on June 26. 70 staff will be asked to take LOA from school for seven days.

All students in Westwood Secondary and Presbyterian High School will be provided with home-based learning lessons. The schools will monitor the students' progress through channels such as telephone, email and the schools' learning management systems.

The schools will also keep parents informed of the learning activities and accompanying study schedules. When these students return to school, teachers may also conduct make-up lessons.

For students in these two schools who are scheduled to take their "O" Level Mother-Tongue oral examinations on July 2 and 3, the Singapore Examinations and Assessment Board (SEAB) will make arrangements for them to take the examinations at a later date.

As for Hai Sing Catholic School, a trainee teacher attached to the school tested positive for the H1N1 virus on June 27. He attended a staff seminar on the morning of June 25 and six staff who were in close contact have been asked to take Leave of Absence from June 26 to July 2.

As only a small percentage of the school staff is on Leave of Absence, the school will operate as usual and reopen on Monday, June 29.

- CNA/ir

Labels: Presbyterian High

Schools implement precautionary H1N1 measures when holidays end Monday
Channel NewsAsia- 27 June 2009

SINGAPORE: Schools will reopen on Monday. 26 Nanyang Junior College students will be on leave of absence when school reopens.

For first year students who will miss their mid-year exams because of their leave of absence, they will be assessed based on their year end exam results.

JC 2 students will take their exams on another date.

Only 11 out of 175 teachers at the junior college need to take leave of absence.

And so there's no urgent need for relief teachers for now.

S Chozha Nathan, head of department, Nanyang Junior College, said: "For the next two weeks, we will have mid-year exams. These teachers not being here will not affect our operations that much because we have more than sufficient teachers to cover up for their invigilation duties and so on. So until the teaching starts, this would not be a problem.

Over at Maha Bodhi Primary School, their basement has become a restricted area.

Students who are unwell and have been to H1N1 affected countries will be sent to Infirmary A before being sent to the hospital.

Students who are unwell but have not been to affected countries or those who have been to affected countries and are not sick will wait in Infirmary B for their parents to bring them home.

Students will learn about the preventive measures against H1N1 when school reopens on Monday. - CNA/vm

Labels: Students will learn about the preventive measures against H1N1 when school reopens on Monday.

S'pore confirms 89 new H1N1 cases, bringing total number to 454
Channel News Asia- 27 June 2009

SINGAPORE: Singapore has confirmed 89 new cases of H1N1, bringing the total tally to 454 confirmed cases.

The Health Ministry said in addition to these 89 new cases, 53 other cases were pending investigation on Friday.

Of these 142 cases, 65 have been investigated. They comprise 34 local cases, 31 imported cases, while the remaining 77 cases are still being investigated.

The 34 new local cases include 10 new cases in the Republic Polytechnic cluster and seven new cases in the Maju Camp cluster.

There are also two new cases in the Tekong cluster and both are full-time national servicemen.

In addition, there is a new cluster from an NUS Orientation Camp comprising three new cases and one previously unlinked case. - CNA/vm

Labels: total tally to 454 confirmed cases.

At least 1 million H1N1 flu cases in US
Channel News Asia- 27 June 2009

WASHINGTON - At least one million people in the United States have had H1N1 flu, or around 50 times more than the number of cases reported to health authorities, US health authorities said Friday.

"We're saying that there have been at least a million cases of the new H1N1 virus so far this year in the United States," said Anne Schuchat of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

"Reported cases are really just the tip of the iceberg," said Schuchat, director of the CDC's National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases, of the roughly 28,000 confirmed cases of A(H1N1) flu in the United States.

Around 3,000 people infected with H1N1 flu in the United States have had to be hospitalized and 127 people are reported to have died.

The CDC arrived at its figure of one million cases based on computer models and surveys of communities known to have been hard hit by the new flu strain.

"There have been community surveys in a couple of areas looking at influenza-like illness in areas where we know there's a lot of the strain circulating and in many of those communities, they're reporting proportions of about 6 percent of community members having had an illness that's consistent with the new virus," Schuchat told reporters.

A community survey conducted in New York City, where the CDC believes there have been half a million cases of A(H1N1), showed 6.9 percent of residents experienced flu-like illness during a three-week period in May, Schuchat said.

"From their virologic testing, they knew that most of that influenza-like illness was based on this new H1N1 strain, and from that, they estimated that around half a million New York City residents may have been infected with this new virus and had flu-like illness without necessarily seeking care," Schuchat said.

Although an infection rate of around six percent is low compared with seasonal influenza, said the CDC official, "the survey in New York looked at a several-week attack rate while seasonal flu usually happens over weeks to months."

Schuchat said the actual figure of infected people in the United States was probably higher than one million and warned that H1N1 flu might see higher infection rates than seasonal influenza.

"We believe the attack rates of this new virus, particularly in young people, may exceed the kind of attack rates we see with seasonal influenza," she said.

The highest rates of illness due to A(H1N1) flu are in people under the age of 25. The median age of people who have been hospitalized in the United States after being infected with the virus is 19, and the median age of those who have died is 37.

Schuchat repeated a warning that the new strain of H1N1 flu could come back in a more virulent form with the return of flu season in the autumn and urged communities to begin mapping out a vaccination campaign.

Five companies are working to develop a vaccine against A(H1N1) flu, said Schuchat, without naming them.

- AFP /ls

Children more susceptible to H1N1 as they have higher virus attack rate
Channel NewsAsia -26 June 2009

SINGAPORE : About half of the confirmed H1N1 flu cases in Singapore involve young people below the age of 20.

At KK Women's and Children's Hospital (KKH), the average age of a patient is 10 years old, with the youngest being just 14 months.

18-year-old Audrey Woon fits the statistics. She is under 20, healthy, and when she was confirmed as an H1N1 flu patient, all she had were, in her words, normal flu symptoms.

She said: "I lost my voice completely, my throat was really throbbing, I had very high fever, I was coughing, I had chills, but that was it..."

Audrey is one of the growing number of local H1N1 flu cases. She did not have any travel history or contact with other imported cases.

Doctors said one reason why young people seem to be more easily infected is because they have a higher virus attack rate.

Dr Chong Chia Yin, senior consultant, Infectious Diseases, KK Women's and Children's Hospital (KKH), said: "Children have a higher attack rate because they have no underlying immunity to the virus, and also because children do not practise good hygiene most of the time.

"They may cough, they may sneeze and they won't even remember to cover their mouth and nose. That means there are children who will more likely have symptomatic disease. That means it will actually manifest as fever, cough, runny nose...

"So the incidence of the disease in younger children is actually higher, but the complicated disease is usually in the elderly, (above) 65, and also in the very young who are less than 2 years of age."

KKH has admitted 111 patients, including 94 children. The good news is that all are recovering well.

Dr Chong said: "Most patients would fully recover from the H1N1 virus. They will be out of the hospital in eight days or so."

Only two children had complications, but have since recovered. One patient had pneumonia and another had exacerbation of asthma. The virus is considered serious if the child develops respiratory problems, such as fast breathing, vomiting and dehydration.

Doctors said parents should not be unduly worried, but those with children in the high risk group, such as asthmatics, should be extra cautious.

Dr Chong said: "They should keep their asthma under control, so if they are supposed to be on preventers because they have moderate or persistent asthma, then they must make sure that they are compliant to the preventers."

And since the time lag between testing and confirmation of H1N1 flu could take a while, suspected H1N1 flu cases should not mix around freely within the community.

Dr Chong said: "If the child is ill, having cough, fever, runny nose, stay away from school, stay indoors at home. So do not go around spreading the virus to other children. Practise good hygiene and make sure you do have a balanced diet and have enough sleep."

While parents are concerned about the spread of H1N1 flu in the community, they are taking it in their stride.

One parent said: "Just avoid going to crowded places and drink more water."

Another said: "I am just taking whatever precautions the schools and the hospitals advise... I just follow up on it."

Suspected H1N1 flu cases are tested in white tents outside the KKH Children's Emergency Department. Patients are then sent to more comfortable isolation rooms to wait for the test results, which could take about 12 hours. - CNA/ms

There are now 220 cases of the Influenza A (H1N1) in Singapore.
Here are some information about the 220 H1N1 cases in Singapore.


Breakdown by source of infection

Countries --------------------------Number of cases
Australia ---------------------------63
Singapore --------------------------62
Philippines ------------------------38
United States ---------------------29
Hong Kong ------------------------7
UK ----------------------------------7
Thailand ---------------------------5
Canada -----------------------------3
Indonesia -------------------------3
Chile -------------------------------1
New Zealand ---------------------1
Cruise# ----------------------------1
Total --------------------------220


Breakdown of cases by age

Age group (years) Number of cases
< 20 108
20 – 50 107
> 50 5
Total 220

As the figures are represented above, there are 108 cases in which the victims of this virus are below 20 years old, which suggests that those below 20 years old are more vulnerable to this virus

Labels: 220 cases

Schools ready to implement home-based learning for students on leave of absence
Channel NewsAsia- 23 June 2009

SINGAPORE: The Ministry of Education has said schools are well-equipped to implement home-based learning for students who have to take leave of absence when schools re-open on Monday.

This is for students who have returned from countries affected by the Influenza A (H1N1) virus.

Giving details of its precautionary measures, the MOE said schools will deliver the materials for home-based learning and monitor the students' progress through various channels like mail, telephone, hand delivery, email and the school's learning management system.

Schools will also keep parents informed of the learning activities and study schedules so as to allow parents to play a complementary role by helping to monitor their child's progress.

When the affected students return to school, the teachers may also conduct
make-up lessons to ensure they catch up with their classmates. The MOE said extra attention will be paid to graduating cohorts.

Meanwhile, when school reopens on Monday, there will be stations at the school gates to screen students and staff entering the premises.

At the screening station, those who have returned from affected countries on or after June 22, but who may have missed earlier notifications, will be served with the leave of absence and asked to go home. Those who are unwell will also be asked to go home.

In the first hour, teachers will conduct a temperature taking exercise and students will be asked to submit their declaration forms.

In addition, school assemblies will be suspended and CCAs scaled down during the first week in order to minimise congregation of staff and students. Recess will also be staggered, said the MOE.

There will also be higher security at schools and visitors will be screened for their travel history and temperature before they enter the school premises.

Education Minister Ng Eng Hen urged parents to give their cooperation to safeguard the health of their child and all students.

Dr Ng said: "We need each individual to do his part. If you have travelled to affected countries, or if you feel unwell, it is your responsibility to take personal measures. Do not be a spreader.

"If you are unwell and have flu symptoms like a fever, sore throat, cough, body aches, runny nose, headaches and tiredness, do not mix with others.

"For effective contact tracing, in the event that it's needed, make sure that your travel declaration to the school is updated and completed, especially if you have been to a few places before returning to Singapore."

- CNA/ir

Labels: Schools ready to implement home-based learning for students on leave of absence

H1N1 flu toll leaps past 52,000 infected, 231 dead
22 June 2009

GENEVA - The World Health Organisation on Monday reported a huge leap in the Influenza A(H1N1) pandemic toll to more than 52,000 people infected and 231 dead.

The toll has risen by more than 7,873 cases and 51 deaths since Friday, highlighting the steady spread of the A(H1N1) virus. The flu has now been reported in 100 countries and territories.

And figures yet to be incorporated into the UN health agency's official figures indicate an even higher toll. The Philippines has reported the first A(H1N1) flu death in Asia, Iran joined the countries reporting their first cases, while Singapore quarantined a Hong Kong football team.

The United States led a group of countries that have seen dramatic increases in cases of virus, according to the new WHO figures.

There were an extra 3,594 cases taking the US total to 21,449 with 87 deaths. Mexico was stable with 7,600 cases and 113 deaths.

But Chile, which is entering the southern hemisphere winter has also been badly hit with 1,190 more cases (4,315), including four deadly.

There have been an extra 805 extra cases in Canada (5,710), where there have been 13 deaths.

Britain remains the worst-hit country in Europe. It has recorded 754 extra cases taking its total to 2,506, including one death.

In Australia there are 237 extra cases at 2,436, with one death. In Japan there are 160 more cases at 850. China has an extra 220 cases at 739. China's health ministry website on Sunday said 414 people had fallen ill with A(H1N1) flu.

A 49-year-old woman in the Philippines became Asia's first fatality linked to A(H1N1) flu, health authorities said.

She had been suffering from heart and liver ailments for some time, and the department said in a statement that her infection with the influenza A (H1N1) virus had worsened her condition.

The woman's case had gone undetected until a doctor visited her in her home when she was already in critical condition, the department said.

Singapore on Monday quarantined 17 members of the Hong Kong youth football team after four players tested positive for A(H1N1) flu ahead of the Asian Youth Games.

Twelve players, three coaches, a physiotherapist and a team official were placed under quarantine at a suburban beach resort, a Games spokeswoman said.

Singapore authorities quarantined 19 members of the Philippine football squad at the weekend after one player tested positive for A(H1N1).

The spread of A(H1N1) flu was highlighted when Iran's health ministry reported the country's first virus case in a 16-year-old boy who had just been to the United States, the the official IRNA news agency said.

The WHO said that its figures could not be considered reliable because some countries were no longer keeping total figures while other poor countries did not have the means to reliably detect cases.

- AFP/ir

www.crisis.gov.sg

An athlete from the Philippines Football Team who arrived here on 18 June
2009 for the Asian Youth Games(AYG) has been confirmed to have been infected with
Influenza A (H1N1).

He developed symptoms in the afternoon of 19 June 2009. His fever was
detected during the routine temperature taking. He sought medical attention at the
Games Village medical centre at around 7.30pm. He was placed in an isolation room
and throat swabs were taken. Laboratory results confirmed his infection this morning
and he was admitted to CDC. His condition is stable.

The football team' s Singaporean liaison officer is at the CDC for observation.
The close contacts will be quarantined at the Aloha Resorts in accordance with the
AYG' s H1N1 contingency plans. The matches involving the Philippines football team
will be postponed.Despite the presence of one case within the Games Village, the AYG will go on.

Singapore confirms another 16 new H1N1 cases
Channel NewsAsia -22 June 2009

SINGAPORE: Singapore has confirmed another 16 new cases of H1N1.

Seven are local and nine has travel history, bringing the total number of H1N1 cases in Singapore to 142.

A third cluster of locally-infected cases has also been identified at popular nightclub Butter Factory at One Fullerton.

The new case is a 19-year-old Singaporean female student. She visited the club on June 17 when three previously reported cases were also there.

The Health Ministry has advised all those who had visited Butter Factory on June 17 to monitor their health and seek medical attention if they feel unwell.

The other new cases include two additional ones from the Riverlife Church cluster.

One is a 20-year-old Singaporean female student who attended a church function on June 13, while the other is a 12-year-old Singaporean boy who is a cousin to an earlier case in the cluster.

There were also three new cases with no travel history and no known contact with confirmed cases.

One is a 22-year-old Singaporean female student who participated in a church camp at Prince George's Park from June 15 to 18.

Another is a 21-year-old National Serviceman based at Clementi Police Station.

There was also another local case, a 22-year-old Malaysian man, who is a colleague of a previously confirmed case.

The nine imported cases include three Singaporeans, two Permanent Residents and four foreigners (a Filippino, a Malaysian, an Australian and an Indonesian. They had travelled to Australia, the Philippines, the United Kingdom and Indonesia.

Contact tracing is underway. - CNA/de

Snapshot of Flu Outbreak
















http://www.channelnewsasia.com/fluoutbreak/map.htm

The map shown above depicts the areas that have been hit by the Influenza A H1N1. For a clearer view of the map, please visit the website stated above. To view the number of cases in the specific states, mouse over the countries. Click to Zoom in or out.

Country, territory and area	Cumulative total		Newly confirmed since the last reporting period
	Cases	Deaths	Cases	Deaths
Argentina	918	4	185	3
Australia	2199	0	87	0
Austria	8	0	1	0
Bahamas	2	0	0	0
Bahrain	12	0	0	0
Barbados	4	0	1	0
Belgium	19	0	0	0
Bermuda, UKOT	1	0	0	0
Bolivia	11	0	0	0
Brazil	96	0	17	0
British Virgin Islands, UKOT	1	0	0	0
Bulgaria	2	0	0	0
Canada	4905	12	856	5
Cayman Islands, UKOT	4	0	0	0
Chile	3125	2	790	0
China	519	0	137	0
Colombia	60	1	7	0
Costa Rica	149	1	0	0
Cuba	15	0	8	0
Cyprus	1	0	0	0
Czech Republic	5	0	1	0
Denmark	22	0	7	0
Dominica	1	0	0	0
Dominican Republic	93	1	0	0
Ecuador	86	0	0	0
Egypt	29	0	3	0
El Salvador	160	0	35	0
Estonia	5	0	1	0
Finland	13	0	1	0
France	131	0	13	0
French Polynesia, FOC	1	0	0	0
Martinique, FOC	1	0	0	0
Germany	238	0	43	0
Greece	31	0	8	0
Guatemala	153	1	25	0
Honduras	108	0	8	0
Hungary	7	0	3	0
Iceland	4	0	0	0
India	30	0	0	0
Ireland	16	0	4	0
Israel	219	0	67	0
Italy	88	0	16	0
Jamaica	14	0	2	0
Japan	690	0	24	0
Jordan	2	0	0	0
Korea, Republic of	84	0	19	0
Kuwait	18	0	0	0
Laos	1	0	1	0
Lebanon	12	0	1	0
Luxembourg	2	0	0	0
Malaysia	23	0	6	0
Mexico	7624	113	1383	5
Morocco	8	0	5	0
Netherlands	87	0	19	0
Netherlands Antilles, Curaçao *	3	0	2	0
Netherlands Antilles, Sint Maarten	1	0	1	0
New Zealand	216	0	89	0
Nicaragua	144	0	26	0
Norway	17	0	4	0
Oman	3	0	3	0
Panama	272	0	0	0
Papua New Guinea	1	0	1	0
Paraguay	27	0	2	0
Peru	141	0	29	0
Philippines	311	0	118	0
Poland	7	0	0	0
Portugal	5	0	2	0
Qatar	3	0	0	0
Romania	18	0	2	0
Russia	3	0	0	0
Samoa	1	0	0	0
Saudi Arabia	22	0	5	0
Singapore	77	0	28	0
Slovakia	3	0	0	0
South Africa	1	0	1	0
Spain	512	0	13	0
Sri Lanka	1	0	0	0
Suriname	11	0	11	0
Sweden	43	0	6	0
Switzerland	27	0	0	0
Thailand	518	0	208	0
Trinidad and Tobago	18	0	13	0
Turkey	20	0	4	0
Ukraine	1	0	0	0
United Arab Emirates	2	0	1	0
United Kingdom	1752	1	291	0
Isle of Man, Crown Dependency	1	0	0	0
Jersey, Crown Dependency	1	0	0	0
United States of America	17855	44	0	0
Uruguay	36	0	0	0
Venezuela	60	0	15	0
Viet Nam	27	0	0	0
West Bank and Gaza Strip	5	0	3	0
Yemen	4	0	3	0
Grand Total	44287	180	4667	13

Chinese Taipei has reported 60 confirmed case of influenza A (H1N1) with 0 deaths. Cases from Chinese Taipei are included in the cumulative totals provided in the table above.

Cumulative and new figures are subject to revision

Abbreviations

UKOT: United Kingdom Overseas Territory
FOC: French Overseas Collectivity
OT: Overseas Territory

H1N1 flu cases in Singapore rise to 34
Channel NewsAsia - Monday, June 15

SINGAPORE: Singapore has confirmed seven more cases of Influenza A (H1N1), bringing the total number of confirmed cases here to 34.

All 34 cases, except one who was a close contact of a confirmed case, were imported cases with a travel history.

So far, 17 patients have been discharged. The remaining 17 patients are still in the hospital and their conditions remain stable.

The 28th to 31st confirmed cases are related to the 26th and 27th cases (mother and son) who had returned to Singapore on June 9 after attending a wedding in Melbourne. The latest cases had all attended the same wedding in Melbourne but had returned to Singapore on separate flights.

The 28th case, a 52—year—old Singaporean man (father); and the 29th case, a 42—year—old woman (mother) had returned to Singapore from Melbourne on Singapore Airlines SQ228 at 21:40 hours on June 9. They were seated at row 37. The father had symptoms before he boarded the plane and the mother developed symptoms while on the plane.

The 30th case, a 16—year—old Singaporean girl (daughter), also had symptoms on June 9 before she boarded the plane, and returned to Singapore from Melbourne on Emirates EK405 at 23:50 hours on June 9. She was seated at row 49.

All three were not picked up by the thermal scanner as they did not have fever then. All three were fetched home by another daughter of the family who did not go to Melbourne.

On June 10 and 11, the daughter (case No. 30) went to her secondary school — Bedok North Secondary School — to attend some activities. On June 11, the father went out for work almost the whole day, while the mother remained largely at home. On June 12 night, they called the 993 ambulance and all three were admitted to the Communicable Disease Centre (CDC) at Tan Tock Seng Hospital (TTSH).

The 31st case is a 17—year—old Singaporean who had returned to Singapore from Melbourne on Singapore Airlines SQ228 at 21:40 hours on June 9. She had attended the same wedding in Melbourne. She was seated at row 62, and developed symptoms while on the plane. She was not picked up by the thermal scanner as she did not have fever then.

On June 10, she stayed at home for the whole day. On June 11, she was out with some friends. On June 12 morning, she went to her school — Raffles Institution (Junior College) — to attend lessons. On June 12 night, a 993 ambulance was called and she was admitted to CDC.

The 32nd case is a 28—year—old Singaporean man who returned to Singapore from Montreal via New York and Tokyo on Japan Airlines JL711 at 00:30 hours on June 11. He was on the same flight as the 25th case.

His parents fetched him home from the airport by taxi. He developed symptoms on June 13 morning, and went to a polyclinic with his mother by bus. He was then referred to CDC via a 993 ambulance. Laboratory results confirmed his infection at 15:45 hours on June 13. No contact tracing for flight passengers is needed as he developed symptoms more than 24 hours after disembarkation.

The 33rd case is a 32—year—old Singaporean woman who returned to Singapore from Phuket on Tiger Airways TR155 at 23:00 hours on June 5. On June 9 morning, she developed symptoms, and went to work.

On June 10 morning, she sought medical attention at a GP clinic and was given medical leave for two days (from June 10 to 11). She returned home and did not go out for the rest of the day and the next.

On June 12 morning, she went to the TTSH Emergency Department (ED) where she was given treatment. A throat swab was taken from her for testing. She was discharged from ED on June 12 afternoon with four days of medical leave (from June 12 to 15) as Thailand is not on the list of affected countries.

Laboratory results confirmed her infection at 20:00 hours on June 13, and she was admitted to CDC2 at night. No contact tracing for flight passengers is needed as she developed symptoms more than 24 hours after disembarkation.

The 34th case is a 6—year—old Australian girl who came to Singapore from Melbourne with her mother on Emirates EK405 at 23:50 hours on June 12 for a holiday. She was seated at row 28.

She developed symptoms on June 11 while in Melbourne. She was brought to see a GP by her uncle on June 13 morning. She was referred to KK Women’s and Children Hospital (KKH) via a 993 ambulance. Laboratory results confirmed her infection at 21:15 hours on June 13.

Contact tracing has been initiated for the seven new confirmed cases. Passengers seated within the following rows who have not been contacted by the Ministry of Health (MOH) yet should call the MOH hotline at 1800—333—9999:

31 — 38 and 61 — 64 on Singapore Airlines SQ228 arriving at 21:40 hours on June 9
47 — 51 on Emirates Airlines EK405 at 23:50 hours on June 9
26 — 30 on Emirates Airlines EK405 at 23:50 hours on June 12

All close contacts identified will be quarantined and provided with antiviral prophylaxis.

The Health Ministry reminds travellers to refrain from travelling should they have symptoms within 24 hours of their planned departure and consult a doctor.

Out of the 34 cases confirmed in Singapore so far, 17 patients have been discharged from hospital.

The Education Ministry says it has been in touch with all 65 staff and students who had been in contact with two of the patients.

The 16—year—old and 17—year—old teenagers had returned to their respective schools despite showing symptoms of the flu.

The students and staff have been advised to stay at home for a week and to watch out for symptoms.

The affected classrooms will also be disinfected.

The ministry also advises schools to be more vigilant in monitoring students who participate in holiday activities in school, and says temperature—taking should be taken.

It also advises parents not to send their children to school should they feel unwell.

— CNA/ir

Singapore confirms 6 more H1N1 cases bringing total to 27 so far
Channel NewsAsia - Saturday, June 13

SINGAPORE: Singapore has confirmed six more H1N1 cases. Five of them are children between the ages of three and 15.

Two of them, aged six and seven, are Australian siblings from Melbourne, travelling in a family of five on holiday.

The sixth case is the mother of the three—year—old boy, both of whom are Singaporean.

The mother and son had gone to Melbourne on holiday on June 3. Another boy, a 12—year—old Singaporean studying in Melbourne returned via Perth on a Tiger Airways flight at 2am on June 8. He later developed symptoms on the evening of June 10.

All travellers had arrived from Melbourne since June 8 except the 15—year—old boy who’s a Singaporean studying in the United States.

These cases bring the total number of confirmed cases in Singapore to 27.

The Health Ministry has initiated contact tracing for all six cases on the following flights:

— 51 to 55 on Qantas Airways QF9 from Melbourne at 2115 hours on June 11
— 30 to 34 on Japan Airlines JL711 from San Francisco via Tokyo at 0030 hours on June 11
— 31 to 35 on Singapore Airlines SQ228 from Melbourne at 2140 hours on June 9.

Those who have not been contacted by the Health Ministry yet should call its hotline at 1800—333—9999.

The ministry said that two patients, the eighth and 16th cases have been discharged bringing the total number of discharged patients to 15.

The remaining 12 patients, that are the 15th and the 17th to 27th cases, are still in hospital and are in a stable condition. — CNA/vm

2 new H1N1 flu cases confirmed on Friday, bringing total to 14
Channel NewsAsia - Saturday, June 6

SINGAPORE: The Ministry of Health has confirmed another two H1N1 flu cases, bringing to 14 the total number of cases so far. Both patients have relatively mild symptoms and are in stable condition.

The 13th case is a 23—year—old Singaporean man who went to Melbourne on May 27 and developed symptoms in the early hours of June 3 while he was still there. He returned on Singapore Airlines SQ 238 (Row 40) on June 4.

His fever was detected by the thermal scanner at Changi Airport and he was sent to Tan Tock Seng Hospital (TTSH). He was subsequently admitted to the Communicable Disease Centre (CDC) for further assessment on the same night.

Laboratory results confirmed his infection on June 5. Contact tracing has begun for passengers within rows 38 to 42.

The 14th patient is a 22—year—old Singaporean woman who is a cabin crew with Singapore Airlines. She was on the same SQ 25 flight from New York to Frankfurt as three earlier confirmed cases.

The seventh confirmed case involved a 30—year—old Australian male tourist who was seated at row 54. The tenth confirmed case was a 33—year—old Singapore female who was seated at row 19 and the 11th confirmed case involved an 18—year—old American female visitor who was seated at row 57.

While these three earlier confirmed cases arrived in Singapore on June 1, she had stopped over at Frankfurt and returned to Singapore one day later on June 2 at 06:30 hours.

Upon arrival, she went home by taxi from the airport. She developed symptoms in the afternoon of June 3. The next day, she consulted a GP in the evening.

She was referred to TTSH via a 993 ambulance and admitted to the CDC for further assessment that night. Laboratory results confirmed her infection at 15:30 hours on June 5.

Malaysia’s Health Ministry has also informed Singapore of two confirmed cases arising from SQ 25. The two were foreign passengers who arrived in Singapore on June 1 and left for Kuala Lumpur on June 3.

Passengers on board that flight are advised to monitor their health closely. If they are unwell, they should go to the CDC immediately, using the 993 ambulance.

Separately, 40 people who were in contact with the 12th case involving an 18—year—old Singaporean man have been accounted for. Three others remain uncontactable and the Immigrations and Checkpoints Authority have been provided with their details. — CNA/vm

Flu severity key for pandemic phase decisions: WHO experts
AFP - Saturday, June 6

GENEVA (AFP) - - The World Health Organisation's emergency committee of flu experts on Friday reached "broad consensus" on the need to assess the severity of swine flu in decisions on pandemic phase changes.

"There was broad consensus of the importance of including information on severity in future announcements," the WHO said in a statement following a meeting with flu experts.

The panel of independent scientists also provided "advice regarding a number of parameters" that would help the WHO in assessing the severity of the pandemic, it added.

WHO Director General Margaret Chan can consult the panel during severe disease outbreaks.

The UN health agency reiterated that it was maintaining the pandemic alert level at five out of six, signalling that a pandemic is "imminent."

Some 69 countries around the world have reported 21,940 cases to the WHO, according to latest figures on the WHO website.

Under the WHO's guidelines, one key criteria for a move to the highest phase six alert would be established community spread in a country outside the first region in which the disease was initially reported, in this case, outside the Americas.

Other than geographical spread, WHO officials said last month that they were also looking at the severity of the virus, possible changes in the pattern of illness, its impact on poor countries or circulation in the southern hemisphere where it could mix with seasonal flu.

A senior WHO official had said Tuesday that the WHO was examining severity grading of mild-moderate-severe to the pandemic phases.

Keiji Fukuda, who is acting assistant director-general also said then that the world was "getting closer" to a swine flu pandemic as the virus shows early signs of spreading locally in countries outside the Americas.

"Globally we believe that we are at phase five but are getting closer to phase six," he said then.

He cited Australia, Britain, Japan, Spain and Chile in particular as countries where the flu was showing early signs of local spread.

Australia's swine flu tally jumped by more than a third to nearly 900 on Thursday.

Singapore’s H1N1 flu cases rise to 11
Channel NewsAsia - Thursday, June 4

SINGAPORE: The Ministry of Health (MOH) confirmed another three Influenza A (H1N1) cases on Wednesday, bringing the total number of people infected in Singapore to 11.

The 9th patient is a 19—year—old Singaporean student returning from the US for the summer holidays. She arrived from New York via Tokyo on All Nippon Airways NH901 at 23:40 hours on May 28.

MOH said no one else needed to be quarantined as the case developed more than 24 hours after disembarkation, hence she was assessed to be non—infectious during the flight.

The 10th and 11th patients were on the same flight as the 7th confirmed case, a 30—year—old Australian male tourist who was seated at row 54 on Singapore Airlines SQ25, which arrived in Singapore from New York via Frankfurt at 06:18 hours on June 1.

The 10th patient is a 33—year—old Singaporean woman who took a taxi to Tan Tock Seng Hospital after developing symptoms. She was in New York from May 23—30 and was seated at row 19 on SQ25. She was admitted to the Communicable Disease Centre 2 (CDC2) at Tan Tock Seng Hospital (TTSH) before midnight on June 2.

The 11th patient is an 18—year—old American woman. She was seated at row 57 on SQ25. She developed symptoms in the afternoon of June 2, took a taxi with her relative to seek medical attention at Raffles Hospital’s Emergency Department in the evening and was sent to CDC, TTSH via a 993 ambulance. She was admitted to CDC2 in the early hours of June 3.

Contact tracing has been initiated for the 10th and 11th confirmed cases. Passengers seated within rows 17 to 21 and 57 to 59 on SQ25 on June 1 who have not been contacted by MOH yet should call the MOH hotline at 1800—333—9999.

The ministry is expanding the list of "affected areas" to include Melbourne and the State of Victoria in Australia, Kobe and Osaka in Japan, and Chile, besides USA, Canada and Mexico.

Affected areas are those with clear evidence of widespread community transmission. The number of cases in the State of Victoria, particularly in its capital, Melbourne, has been rising rapidly, with the number of cases doubling to reach almost 400 over the last two days.

For Japan, more than 90 per cent of its cases are found in the two cities of Kobe and Osaka.

For Chile, the government has announced that H1N1 is entrenched in the community and mitigation measures have replaced containment efforts. Indications are that there is widespread infection throughout Chile, although a large majority of cases are found in the capital city, Santiago.

MOH advises the public to avoid non—essential travel to these affected areas.

So far, all the 11 cases in Singapore are imported and have a travel history. There is currently no evidence of community spread.

— CNA/ir

New York City reports two new deaths from H1N1 flu
Wed Jun 3, 4:47 pm ET

NEW YORK (Reuters) – Two more people have died from the H1N1 flu in New York City, bringing the city's toll to seven from the new virus that has infected thousands of people worldwide, health department officials said on Wednesday.

The New York City Health Department would provide no details, but did say the victims were in the 25-64 age range.

New York City has had 553 confirmed cases so far, including 341 hospitalizations.

The virus, also known as the swine flu, is a mixture of swine, bird and human viruses and remains most prevalent in North America, but has infected nearly 19,000 people in 64 countries, according to the U.N. World Health Organization.

The first outbreak of the H1N1 virus hit Mexico in April. 4
(Reporting by Jui Chakravorty; Editing by Michelle Nichols)

Global airlines move to reduce infection risks
Reuters - Thursday, June 4
By Karen Jacobs

ATLANTA, June 3 - Global airlines, still reeling from the recent flu-virus scare, have stepped up efforts to protect passengers from health risks on international flights.

In Asia, carriers spooked by the memory of SARS have stepped up cabin cleaning, installed state-of-the-art air filters and allowed in-flight staff to wear face masks.

For example, Cathay Pacific <0293.hk> now replaces used pillows, blankets, headset covers and headrest covers, spokeswoman Carolyn Leung said.

China Southern Airlines <600029.ss> has been disinfecting the cabins of all aircraft. China Eastern Airlines <600115.ss> flight attendants are required to wear disposable facial masks, gloves and hats and even disposable overcoats during flights to select destinations.

Mexicana Airlines uses high-efficiency filters that can trap small particles that would normally recirculate back into the air, spokesman Adolfo Crespo said.

The H1N1 flu virus has been confirmed in 20,000 people in 68 countries, killing at least 126, according to the World Health Organization. Although it appears mild, experts worry that the disease, which formerly was called "swine flu," could change into a more dangerous form.

In the wake of the spread, some countries have intensified health precautions.

Singapore saw its first case of the H1N1 flu in late May, after a native student flew from New York to the city-state on a Singapore Airlines flight.

Singapore has been thermal-screening everyone coming into the country. The method, which identifies travelers with a fever, did not help authorities spot the sick student, as she had not yet developed a fever.

The government quarantined the passenger and about 60 other people on the same flight who were sitting within three rows.

"This won't be the last case in Singapore unless we could stop people from traveling," Singapore's Health Minister Khaw Boon Wan said.

Singapore Airlines Ltd , the world's biggest by market value, is giving passengers traveling to the United States health kits that include a thermometer, masks and antiseptic towels. Its cabin and flight crews are getting mandatory temperature checks before flights.

U.S. STANDARDS

In contrast to the measures taken by Asian airlines, U.S. carriers have simply continued safety standards already in place, relying on the advice of authorities such as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Atlanta-based CDC has not recommended that airline crews wear face masks or disposable overcoats.

"The issue with H1N1 and airlines is an issue of translocation, not necessarily on-board transmission," Shelly Sikes Diaz, a CDC spokeswoman, said in an email. She added that people were no more likely to catch the flu on a two-hour plane flight than they were sitting next to someone for a two-hour movie.

"Therefore, at this time, recommended on-board infection control measures would be similar to community infection control measures" such as frequent hand-washing, Diaz added.

David Castelveter, a spokesman with the Air Transport Association trade group, said U.S. airlines for the most part have made no major changes in the wake of swine flu, but continued standing practices that include looking for passengers with symptoms of flu, measles or other infections. He added that in-flight air filters ensure that aircraft are sanitized.

"We take our guidance from the professionals (such as the CDC) who tell us the precautions that are needed to prevent the spread," Castelveter said. "We're not taking the type of precautions that are unnecessary."

While Castelveter said media coverage of the flu has boosted awareness of airline safety procedures, Mexicana's Crespo stressed that carriers still have work to do to change public perceptions that air quality on planes is bad.

"Inside, our aircraft is cleaner than in a hospital," Crespo said.

Julian Tang, a consultant for the microbiology division at National University Hospital in Singapore, also said hygiene practices such as covering the nose and mouth when sneezing or coughing in confined areas may be the best way to limit infection.

He said safety measures such as costly air filters may be of limited use for carriers.

"This is because most of the transmission between passengers probably mostly occurs just after the sneeze/cough in the immediate vicinity of the passenger rather than after it flows through the ventilation/circulation system and back out again," he said. (Additional reporting by Ee Lyn Tan and Sui-Lee Wee in Hong Kong, Neil Chatterjee in Singapore and Fang Yan in Shanghai; editing by Gerald E. McCormick)

A H1N1 flu pandemic is looming closer with Africa reporting its first case while the number of cases in Australia soared to nearly 500 confirmed cases from just one case one case just a fortnight. This makes Australia the Asia-Pacific region's worst affected country and the fourth largest worldwide.

According to figures by the World Health Organization (WHO), 64 countries have officially reported close to 19,000 cases of A(H1N1), including 117 deaths.

Experts however say there is no suggestion yet that the flu outbreak has taken a life of its own, while pharmaceutical firms race to find a vaccine and the WHO warns the world to be ready for the H1N1 flu to become more severe.