Flu shuts schools, hits business

The number of people infected by new swine flu had increased rapidly to 139 by 8:30 p.m. Monday, hours after anxious governments told thousands of schools in western Japan to close in an attempt to contain the disease.

On the same day, however, authorities confirmed the new and potentially deadly strain of flu had already spread to working adults, prompting some businesses to close and others to implement workplace protocol intended to shield them from the escalating problem.

All the recorded cases have been in Osaka and Hyogo prefectures.

Indications so far suggest the new flu is not as virulent as the avian flu virus, for which the government already has drawn up guidelines. Health, Labor and Welfare Minister Yoichi Masuzoe said Monday the government would consider adopting a more lenient policy to handle the current outbreak.

The more relaxed approach would potentially allow people suspected of having swine flu, as well as those diagnosed with light cases, to receive treatment at home so as to preserve hospital beds for patients with more serious symptoms.

As the situation worsened Monday, the health ministry asked the Osaka and Hyogo prefectural governments to close all junior and senior high schools in their jurisdictions.

Osaka prefectural government officials shut all public junior and senior high schools in the prefecture, outside of Osaka city.

Osaka city government and Hyogo prefectural government officials also decided to close elementary, junior and senior high schools.

The decision effectively closes 2,384 schools for 1.06 million students in the two prefectures.

The two prefectural governments have also asked private schools in their jurisdictions to shut down for a week.

The first confirmed cases of domestic person-to-person infection were recorded among senior high school students.

However, on Monday, the Kobe city government announced 30 new confirmed cases, including those of a 5-year-old boy and a 60-year-old man--the first cases of people younger than 10, or 60 and older, to be infected.

Meanwhile, Bank of Tokyo-Mitsubishi UFJ Ltd. said Monday that a female employee in her 20s at the Sannomiya branch in Kobe had been infected with the new swine flu.

About 60 of the 70 employees at the bank branch outlet as well as staff at the Sannomiya company branch were asked to stay at home Monday. Employees from other branches were brought to Sannomiya to fill in for them.

Automatic bank tellers at the branch were disinfected before use on Monday. Employees at all bank branches in the six Kinki prefectures were asked to wear face masks at work.

A female worker in her 50s at the Daily In convenience store at JR Sannomiya Station had also come down with the swine flu, West Japan Railway Daily Service Net Co. said.

Employees who had come into contact with the woman were asked to stay home. Eight outlets of the convenience store chain were also closed on Monday.

Several companies were implementing preventive measures Monday as alarm over the rapidly spreading flu spread around the country.

The Consumer Co-operative Kobe has asked all employees to take their temperature before leaving home for work and to notify their branch managers if they have a fever of 38 degrees or higher, have a cough or feel listless.

Kansai Electric Power Co. has also instructed employees to submit written daily reports on their health and temperature after arriving at the office.(IHT/Asahi: May 19,2009)