51 new flu cases confirmed

By: BangkokPost.com

Published: 15/06/2009 at 01:38 PM

The Ministry of Public Health reported 51 new A(H1N1) flu cases on Monday, raising the number of confirmed infections to 201.

The Public Health Ministry also upgraded the influenza alert in Thailand from level B, which is an outbreak within a limited circle with only 10-15 patients to a group, to level C, which is an extensive outbreak as seen in the US, the UK and Japan.

On Sunday, the ministry confirmed 44 people had caught the virus.

Officials from the public health and education ministries and the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration will meet in the afternoon to discuss measures to contain the outbreak.

Education Minister Jurin Laksanavisit said eight schools had now closed indefinitely because of the flu.

He asked teachers to take special care of students during this period.

The minister said he believed authorities could handle the situation.

The Education Ministry had emailed to more than 30,000 schools in the country, informing ways to tackle the H1N1 flu outbreak.

Public Health Minister Witthaya Kaewparadai said the currently limited outbreaks of the influenza could potentially spread nationwide by next month. Health officials had been warned to be on the alert.

"The ministry will step up monitoring measures for crowded areas to prevent the spread of flu," Mr Sitthaya said.

People should take precautions to protect themselves, but there was no need to panic because the disease was curable.

Only the weak were really at serious threat from the virus, he said.

Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva on Sunday also advised Thais not to panic about the growing number of swine flu cases.

The Bangkok Mass Transit Authority and State Railway of Thailand announced measures to prevent the spread of the virus on public transport..

Land Transport Department director-general Chairat Sanguanchue said the city bus operator had instructed all bus drivers and fare collectors to wear protective masks and clean all bus railings and doors with alcohol.

Om airconditioned buses, the ventilators must be turned on every ten minutes, and curtains must be removed for two weeks to wash out the dirt.

After each day's service, all buses, particularly the seats, must be properly cleaned.

SRT governor Yuthana Thapcharoen said train staff had been instructed to clean all carriages, seats, beds, toilets, sheets and blankets with disinfectant solution on a daily basis.

Emphasis on hygiene will be placed on trains running to and from Malaysia, he said.