New York Governor David A. Paterson Statement On Closing Of Additional New York City Schools Due To H1N1 (Swine Flu)

May 15, 2009 -- “This evening I was informed by New York City Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg that New York City has made a decision to close an additional three schools due to high absenteeism and reports of influenza-like illnesses. The three schools are:

o JHS 74Q - Nathanial Hawthorne School, 1021 students in Bayside: 26 students with documented flu-like symptoms.

o P.S. 107Q - Thomas A. Dooley, 891 students in Flushing: Flu-like symptoms were documented as being persistently high this week and 49 students were documented with flu-like symptoms.
o I.S. 318K - Eugenio Maria De Hostos, 1517 students in Williamsburg: 53 students were documented with flu-like symptoms this week.

“The New York State Department of Health (DOH) remains on heightened alert to respond to the H1N1 (swine flu) outbreak. DOH continues to work closely with local public health departments that are carefully monitoring the situation, particularly with respect to absenteeism in schools.

“In response to yesterday’s school closures in Queens, DOH convened a call today with local health departments. Local health departments in counties with confirmed cases are in daily contact with affected school districts. At this time, outside of New York City there are no reports of absenteeism rates that would indicate the need for additional school closures.

“DOH is working with the State Education Department to develop a standardized, real-time method of collecting absenteeism data from schools to assist local health departments with monitoring their communities. The agencies have also provided guidance on H1N1 to schools, which includes communicating with their local health departments if they are experiencing unusual rates of absenteeism.

“The symptoms of H1N1 include fever, cough, sore throat, congestion and runny nose, body aches, headache, chills and fatigue. Some people have also reported diarrhea and vomiting as well. New Yorkers experiencing severe symptoms, such as difficulty breathing, should seek immediate medical care.

“While New York is experiencing some severe illness in high-risk individuals, it is important to remember that this is not unlike what we experience with seasonal flu. In New York, seasonal flu is responsible for approximately 2,000 deaths statewide. We should all take precautionary measures to reduce the transmission of any illnesses, including:

o Washing your hands often with soap and warm water. Alcohol-based hand cleansers are also effective.
o Avoiding people who are ill.
o Staying home from work or school if you are sick.
o Using tissue when you cough, sneeze or spit, and dispose of the tissue in a covered trash bin.
o Keeping hands away from your face. Avoid touching your eyes, nose or mouth.
o Cleaning shared space more often such as phone receivers, keyboards, steering wheels and office equipment.
o Refraining from sharing personal items such as forks, spoons, toothbrushes and towels.

“To date, the DOH has reported a total of 244 cases of laboratory-confirmed H1N1 in New York State, including 66 cases in counties outside of New York City and 178 cases in New York City.”

For more information about H1N1 and precautionary measures, please visit http://www.ny.gov/h1n1/index.html.

Source: New York Governor