Today, the Ministry of Health has announced that 76 Influenza A H1N1 cases have been discharged from hospital or completed their treatment whilst 387 close contacts have completed their quarantine period. Meanwhile 88 more cases are still undergoing treatment at the hospital or at home.

From the total of 164 cases confirmed until yesterday, 66 cases or 40 percent are children aged from 5 to 18 years. The Ministry of Health together with the Ministry of Education will continue to cooperate in monitoring the health of schoolchildren, particularly in preventing the spread of Influenza A H1N1 infection. Measures currently in place include:

• Temperature screening for schoolchildren and staff prior to entering class.
• The formulation of guidelines for isolation and transporting of children with influenza symptoms to the nearest health centres.
• The formulation of guidelines for contact tracing and class closure in the event a case of Influenza A H1N1 is confirmed in the school.
   

The Ministry of Health continues to remind the public, especially parents and guardians to continuously monitor the health of their children and if possible, to check their body temperatures and health condition before sending them to school. For children with symptoms of Influenza A H1N1, parents and guardians are advised:

• Not to send the child to school.
• To immediately bring them to seek medical attention.
• Not to send them to extracurricular activities, extra classes or tuition classes.
• To keep them isolated from other family members and friends.
• Not to bring them to public places including shopping malls and recreational parks.
• Not to bring them to family gatherings and functions.
   

Meanwhile, as of 4pm today, the Ministry of Health has confirmed 10 new cases of Influenza A (H1N1), bringing the total in the country to 174 cases. Investigations are still on-going for all the new cases.