Thursday, May 28, 2009

The latest swine flu update

From ABC 7:

Health Commissioner Thomas R. Frieden and Schools Chancellor Joel I. Klein today announced that the City Health Department has recommended closing six more schools - four in East Harlem, and two in Brooklyn - after documenting unusually high levels of influenza-like illness over a number of days. The six schools will be closed as of Friday, May 29, and will reopen on Wednesday, June 3.

And from the Daily News:

Parents rallied at a Queens elementary school Thursday to demand the city close and sanitize the building after scores of students - and the school nurse - called in sick.

"These are four and five-year-olds coming down with 102-degree fevers and infecting their siblings," said Monica Hendricks, 46, one of 15 parents protesting outside Public School 96 in South Ozone Park.

"There is no logical explanation why our school is not closed."

Parents said more than 80 of the school's approximately 300 students were out sick - along with several teachers and the school nurse.

City health officials said the threat of swine flu could be overblown.

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

Right... "out sick."
I'd take a sick day, too, if I were them. Vay-cay-shun!!!!

Anonymous said...

A group of tweeded with masks on and carrying signs demanding sanitary conditions. Something about a pot calling a kettle black comes to mind....

Anonymous said...

And if you took too many Vay-Cay-shuns you would get a permanent vacation. The reason for this proposal is that many people are going to work half dead to avoid loss of pay, especially if they are lower-paid or temporary employees.

This may put everyone at risk if they come to work with a deadly virus.

Anonymous said...

Its a shame there are only a few comments on this topic. I made the mistake of going with my family to the Big Apple Circus last week in Cunningham park, where there were about 50-60 school buses with children also attending. Fast forward-my whole family is now sick with flu-like symptoms. The doctor has stated that because of dormant air in the tent, one person sneezing into the air can contaminate many others. Advice to all stay away from public places with dormant air and hundreds of school kids. I wouldn't wish my situation on anybody.