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Tuesday, May 19, 2009

16 Schools In NYC Shutdown Due To Swine Flu
Story from ABC News

New York City health officials announced the closure of three more school buildings for Tuesday, bringing the total number of schools closed due to swine flu to 16.

Health Commissioner Dr. Thomas Frieden and Schools Chancellor Joel Klein today announced that the City Health Department has recommended closing the Q209 building in Whitestone; which includes the Clearview Gardens School and P9, a school for students with disabilities; as well as the Marino Jeantet School in Corona and the State Street School in Flushing. Together, that increases the number of locked-out students by 3,229.

Administrators and city health officials took the steps after a total of 103 students in the four schools were documented with influenza-like symptoms during the last six school days. One may wonder if every child in NYC should be wearing swine flu masks.

The announcement is the latest development in a saga that is now ending its first full month of widespread media coverage. News coverage and public fear had just begun to wane. A dozen school closings on Monday and the death of 55-year-old Mitchell Weiner, an assistant principal at Susan B. Anthony Intermediate School in Queens, N.Y., on Sunday -- the city's first such fatality -- cast the spotlight once again on the mysterious illness.