The Head of the Swine Flu response team in the Ministry of Health, Dr. Justine Wane, yesterday, revealed that three cases of the influenza A, H1N1 (Swine Flu), were confirmed in Riviera High School – a development that prompted officials to shut down the school ahead of time.

According to Wane, by the end of last week, 17 students were registered with flu-like illnesses.

"When we took four samples for laboratory testing, three turned out to be positive. We therefore advised the school officials to close the term earlier and take precautionary measures like avoiding crowds,” Wane said.

"There is however no cause for alarm because there have not been any severe cases since the outbreak in the country.”

Riviera’s Principal also confirmed that some students indeed tested positive for swine flu when Ministry of Health officials visited the school last week.

"The school closed last Friday instead of Saturday this week mainly because there were many cases of seasonal flu among students. We had about 100 cases of this seasonal flu and a small number must have been swine flu,” he said.

The Principal therefore noted that the early closure was aimed at controlling the spread of the influenza.

"With approval from the Ministry of Health and Ministry of Education officials, we decided to close the school.”

Swine flu was first confirmed in the country in October, last year. According to medical experts, precautionary measures include covering of mouths and noses while coughing or sneezing, washing hands regularly and the public is advised to seek medical attention if severe influenza-like illnesses arise.

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