RAMALLAH: Palestinian Minister of Health Fathi Abu Moghli closed on Tuesday a school in the West Bank city of Nablus after seven students there fell ill from swine flu.
Abu Moghli said in a press statement that seven students from the Islamic school in Nablus’ Dahyeh neighborhood initially developed flu symptoms and were confirmed as having the H1N1 flu. The students were all reported in stable condition.
The health and education ministries decided to close the school for a week after the cases were reported.
The Health Ministry said the new cases brought the total number of swine flu cases in the Palestinian territories to 130. Dr. Khaled Al-Qadiri, a Health Ministry official, told Arab News that an emergency meeting was held at the Nablus governorate to evaluate the situation and to update the citizens on any new developments and how to prevent the spread of the virus. Qadiri said the authorities will close other schools if new cases were diagnosed.
