Monday, September 7, 2009

Classes at UWI Mona go ahead amid swine flu scare

KINGSTON, Jamaica, September 7, 2009 - The semester at the University of the West Indies (UWI) Mona Campus will begin today as planned, despite three students being confirmed as having the swine flu virus. But officials have cancelled all social events associated with the beginning of the new semester.

"Out of an abundance of caution, the UWI, Mona has decided to cancel all social events scheduled to take place at the Campus for the next seven days," said a statement issued by the university yesterday.

"Based on the advice of the Ministry of Health, it is not necessary to suspend classes...The affected persons and others with flu-like symptoms have been isolated," it added.

The statement said that the Public Health Department of the Ministry of Health has visited the Campus and instituted the necessary public health measures.

"As a precaution and containment measure, The UWI, Mona advises any member of staff or student who may have symptoms of influenza to stay home and to contact the nearest health practitioner. They should not to report to the Campus until they have been properly assessed," the statement further advised.
In its latest update on the spread of the virus, the World Health Organization (WHO) said that there have been over 254,206 confirmed cases worldwide.

But it noted that given that countries are no longer required to test and report individual cases, the number of cases reported actually understates the real number of cases.

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