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More flu cases in Japan as 4,400 schools close

Japan reported 178 swine flu infections yesterday and closed more than 4,400 schools, colleges and kindergartens for the rest of the week to slow the spread of the virus, officials said.

Experts warned that infections had probably already spread to other regions including Tokyo.

“The virus’ spread to Tokyo is near certain, and it would be little wonder if the virus had already landed in Tokyo undetected,” said Yukihiro Nishiyama, a virologist at Nagoya University.

“Of course, there is no need to overreact, but authorities and people in the capital should go ahead with their preparation,” Nishiyama said.

Visitors to many public places —- from the parliamentary visitors’ gallery to the national sumo tournament in Tokyo — have been asked to disinfect their hands on entry, wear surgical face masks or both.

Japan’s first domestic cases of the (A)H1N1 virus were confirmed on Saturday in Kobe and Osaka, where they spread quickly in and between two high schools that had met for a volleyball tournament.

Hundreds have since been tested for the virus and face masks have become ubiquitous in Osaka and Hyogo prefectures.

The government has urged calm and reminded people that no one in Japan has so far died of the disease and that most infections are mild.

A total of 4,432 kindergartens, schools, colleges and universities were closed for at least this week in the two prefectures at the request of the government, up from some 2,000 on Monday, an education ministry official said.

Neighboring Kyoto, Nara, Okayama and Wakayama prefectures closed 32 schools voluntarily.

Japan’s number of confirmed cases rose to 178 — the fourth largest national figure on the world infection table, local authorities said.

Health Minister Yoichi Masuzoe said the government would shift its focus from quarantine control at airports to efforts to contain the further spread of the virus and to treat patients in the country.

“It does not mean that we will end the quarantine control effort completely, but we will scale it down,” he said.

Finance Minister Kaoru Yosano said the government was ready to take action to fend off a possible impact of the outbreak on the Japanese economy already battered by the worst recession since World War II.

SINGING THE BLUES

Meanwhile, hundreds of students whose schools have been closed this week are flocking to karaoke parlors with their friends, club operators said yesterday, saying the students were clearly bored.

“About 10 different groups of high school students came here yesterday,” said Yoshikatsu Ishida, a club manager in Osaka.

He said he declined to accept the students when he found they were supposed to stay at home while their schools were closed.

Another karaoke club manager said: “We suddenly had a number of high school students after 2pm yesterday, right after the announcement that schools would close for a week.”

“All of our karaoke rooms were full at one point, and I’m expecting something similar today,” he said. “I don’t have the right to say something like ‘you should stay at home.’”

Also See: CDC eases flu measures
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