Over 400 H1N1 Cases Reported in Hong Kong

The number of H1N1 cases in Hong Kong has passed the 400 mark. The Ministry of Education has announced that kindergartens and primary schools will remain closed, while secondary schools will start their summer holiday early.

Authorities say H1N1 will surpass the number of seasonal virus cases and become the summer’s dominant virus.

60 cases of the H1N1 virus were reported in Hong Kong on Tuesday the 23rd, bringing the total to 408 cases.

Another secondary school was closed for two weeks because a student who was diagnosed with H1N1.

Department of Education director Michael Suen announced the closing arrangement of the city’s primary and secondary schools after an influenza pandemic committee meeting.

[Michael Suen, Hong Kong Department of Education]:
“We decided that all the kindergartens and child care centers, including primary schools and special schools in Hong Kong will not resume in the current academic year; that is, they have started the summer holiday. For secondary schools, besides the school with confirmed cases that are now closed, the rest of the secondary schools will resume school tomorrow. They can complete their final examination and start their summer holiday early.”

Director of the Department of Health Protection, Thomas Tsang, explained the arrangement for school closures.

[Thomas Tsang, Director, Department of Health Protection]:
“I hope there will not be a very large and very sudden outbreak, since it will increase the possibility of some more serious cases.”

Tsang also pointed out that H1N1 continues to rise and may exceed the number of seasonal flu cases this summer.

(NTDTV)