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Australia Confirms 67 Swine Flu Cases; Total Cases to Rise
By Gemma Daley
May 28 (Bloomberg) -- Australia has confirmed 67 cases of swine flu and authorities warned that tally would increase.
The nation has 67 cases in six of its eight states, the government?s health department said this morning about the ?rapidly changing? tally. The outbreak of swine flu, officially known as H1N1, has forced the closure of six schools across the country and prompted businesses and governments to embark on efforts to contain its spread.
The south-eastern state of Victoria has the most cases with 34, followed by New South Wales with 19, Queensland with seven, South Australia and the Australian Capital Territory at three and one case West Australia.
New South Wales upgraded its protocols for arriving cruise ships, saying it will treat symptoms of flu on such vessels as swine flu, pending tests to clear any infected individuals, state Health Minister John Della Bosca said in a statement.
That came after two children with swine flu arrived on the Pacific Dawn cruise ship. The vessel docked in Sydney three days ago and took on new passengers before traveling to the Great Barrier Reef, the New South Wales government said.
Qantas Airways Ltd. Chief Executive Officer Alan Joyce said yesterday its discount carrier, Jetstar, will cut one-third of its services to Japan because of swine flu.
Already, students returning from countries with a high number of swine flu cases, including Mexico, Canada, the U.S. and Japan, have been asked to stay away from Australian schools for seven days to reduce the risk of spreading the infection.
Confirmed swine flu cases globally total 13,398 in 48 countries, with 95 fatalities, according to the World Health Organization?s latest tally.
To contact the reporter on this story: Gemma Daley in Wellington at gdaley@bloomberg.net
Last Updated: May 27, 2009 17:25 EDT
By Gemma Daley
May 28 (Bloomberg) -- Australia has confirmed 67 cases of swine flu and authorities warned that tally would increase.
The nation has 67 cases in six of its eight states, the government?s health department said this morning about the ?rapidly changing? tally. The outbreak of swine flu, officially known as H1N1, has forced the closure of six schools across the country and prompted businesses and governments to embark on efforts to contain its spread.
The south-eastern state of Victoria has the most cases with 34, followed by New South Wales with 19, Queensland with seven, South Australia and the Australian Capital Territory at three and one case West Australia.
New South Wales upgraded its protocols for arriving cruise ships, saying it will treat symptoms of flu on such vessels as swine flu, pending tests to clear any infected individuals, state Health Minister John Della Bosca said in a statement.
That came after two children with swine flu arrived on the Pacific Dawn cruise ship. The vessel docked in Sydney three days ago and took on new passengers before traveling to the Great Barrier Reef, the New South Wales government said.
Qantas Airways Ltd. Chief Executive Officer Alan Joyce said yesterday its discount carrier, Jetstar, will cut one-third of its services to Japan because of swine flu.
Already, students returning from countries with a high number of swine flu cases, including Mexico, Canada, the U.S. and Japan, have been asked to stay away from Australian schools for seven days to reduce the risk of spreading the infection.
Confirmed swine flu cases globally total 13,398 in 48 countries, with 95 fatalities, according to the World Health Organization?s latest tally.
To contact the reporter on this story: Gemma Daley in Wellington at gdaley@bloomberg.net
Last Updated: May 27, 2009 17:25 EDT