Elementary school closed on flu concerns

(ATTN: CHANGES headline; REWRITES throughout with school shutdown)
By Koh Byung-joon
SEOUL, July 2 (Yonhap) -- An elementary school in South Korea was Thursday closed
temporarily in a precautionary measure to stem the spread of the H1N1 flu virus
after a student was confirmed to have been infected with the contagious disease,
school officials said.
The elementary school, which is located in South Jeolla Province and has 850
students, will remain closed until Tuesday, marking the first school shutdown in
connection with the new flu strain.
The measure was taken as one of its students were recently confirmed to have been
infected with the virus after returning from his trip to Australia with around 10
classmates and teachers.
He is currently being treated at a state-designated hospital and those who
traveled with him are showing no flu-like symptoms but regional school
administrators decided on the shutdown as a precautionary measure. All students
were sent home after morning classes ended.
Health authorities said that they are tracking down all people who might have in
close contact with the infected student to stem a possible person-to-person
infection.
South Korea has been relatively insulated from the global pandemic, which has
claimed more than 300 lives since its outbreak in late April. No deaths have been
reported here.
But concerns are growing that infection could accelerate as Koreans studying
abroad in hard-hit countries such as the United Sates and Australia return home
for summer vacation.
Earlier in the day, the Ministry for Health, Welfare and Family Affairs said that
it has confirmed one additional flu case, raising the number infections here to
227.
As of Thursday morning, 45 people were being treated for the flu, with other
suspected and confirmed patients having been discharged from hospitals after
showing no further symptoms.
kokobj@yna.co.kr
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