Macau, China, 24 June – Macau’s health authorities today confirmed a further four cases of A H1N1 influenza, all imported, taking the total number of identified infections to 12.
Eleven of the patients are in isolation wards in the local public hospital, but the first two cases recorded are likely to leave hospital soon.
The Macau Health Bureau confirmed Tuesday the first case of local infection of the human swine flu A H1N1,
Lei Chi Ion, director of the Macau Health Bureau, explained that of the four new cases there was a student who had returned from England recently and who had travelled in the same aircraft as one of the previously reported cases.
A positive diagnosis was also given to a 21 year-old male, who had been in Pattaya and Bangkok, in Thailand, a 24 year-old woman who had just returned from Singapore and a three year-old child, who had recently been to Australia and Hong Kong.
Lei Chi Ion said that the government was prepared and had resources to combat the A H1N1 flu, but without cooperation from the population it would not succeed in fighting the virus.
He also called for people returning from affected areas not to go to crowded places in the first seven days after their return and said that the health authorities were studying measures for organisers of large events to implement such as measuring temperature and providing utensils to be personally disinfected.
Meanwhile, the Macau authorities have decided to close 59 sports venues whilst keeping 31 open air facilities open.
The Health Bureau advised the gaming and tourism sectors to have disinfection equipment and to start taking the temperature of their guests or of people that visit their establishments, to avoid infected people from entering these locations.
As a majority of schools are finishing exams or terminating the school year this week, the Macau authorities decided not to suspend classes, as there are not any cases with local students.
However, the schools were advised not to hold graduation ceremonies or to limit the duration of such ceremonies as much as possible and to limit other events where people gather.
(MacauNews)
