THAIS CLOSE TUTORIAL SCHOOLS AS HIN1 CLAIMS 14 LIVES

BANGKOK, July 9 (Bernama) -- The Thai Cabinet Thursday ordered tutorial
schools to be closed nationwide for two weeks from Monday to contain the
Influenza A H1N1 virus that has killed 14 people in the country.

Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva said Internet and games cafe owners would
be asked to voluntarily take similar measures.

"We have to close the tutorial schools as we found many students were
affected by the virus," he told reporters after chairing the weekly Cabinet
meeting which was held Thursday after a five-day holiday.

The Public Health Ministry announced that three more people, including a
traffic policeman and a student, died of the infection while the total number of
cases rose to 2,925.

According to the ministry, 70 to 80 per cent of infected cases involved
students and teenagers, and closing tutorial centres were necessary as many
students from other provinces travel to Bangkok to attend classes.

Abhisit also said that students who are sick should stay at home and should
not worry about missing classes or examinations as the Education Ministry would
take care of the matter.

He said health officials would visit schools and assist teachers to screen
students.

On the Internet and games cafes, Abhisit said many cases had spread from
there and investigations also found that some owners of these places had been
infected with H1N1.

Asked if Thailand would close the country to contain the virus, Abhisit said
it was too early as the situation had not reached a critical level.

The fatality level was 0.4 per cent, he said, adding that the international
standard was 1.5 per cent and some African countries had done closed their
borders in the past when confronted with certain diseases.

According to the World Health Organisation, about 95,000 cases and 480
deaths have been reported worldwide, with the United States having the highest
number at almost 34,000 cases and 170 deaths.
-- BERNAMA