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May 18, 2009 6:45 pm US/Central
16 NYC Schools Now Closed Amid Swine Flu Fears
Mayor Bloomberg: 'We Can't Stop The Virus; Goal Is To Minimize'
NEW YORK (CBS) ―
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Nancy Crespo (R) and seventh-grade daughter Alexis Morales (L) hold a get well card for assistant principal Mitch Wiener outside a closed Intermediate School 238 (the Susan B. Anthony School) on May 15, 2009, in the Queens borough of New York.
Stan Honda/AFP/Getty Images
The number of New York City schools ordered closed amid rapidly growing fears of H1N1 flu has grown to 16 after the Health Department announced Monday that four more schools will shut down and one Manhattan private school said it would be closing its doors as well.
The news comes a day after the city reported its first death due to the H1N1 strain, and just as Health Commissioner Thomas Frieden said he "fully expects" to see even more significant cases in the near future, reports CBS station WCBS-TV in New York.
The Health Deprtment announced Monday afternoon that the Q209 building in Whitestone, which houses PS 209 and P9, along with PS 19 in Corona and PS 32 in Flushing will be closed for up to five days beginning Tuesday.
Frieden announced Monday afternoon that the Q209 building in Whitestone, which houses PS 209 and P9, along with PS 19 in Corona and PS 32 in Flushing will be closed for up to five days beginning Tuesday.
Officials at the private St. David's School on the Upper East Side chose to close on Monday morning, but not at the city's recommendation.
"We continue to see a rising tide of flu in many parts of New York City," Frieden said. "We fully expect to see more severe illness in the coming days, particularly among people who have underlying health problems."
According to the Health Department, 24 students reported having flu-like symptoms between the two schools in recent days at Q209. At PS 19, which enrolls nearly 2,000 students, 50 students have reported falling ill in the last six days, while 30 students have shown the symptoms at PS 32.
Mayor Michael Bloomberg and the health commissioner told New Yorkers not to be surprised if more closures will follow.
"We can't stop the virus. Our goal is to minimize it," said Bloomberg at his Monday morning news conference. "It's possible there will be more closings this week."
St. David's headmaster David O'Halloran says the number of children who fell ill over the last four days was "unusually high" and closing "seemed like the right thing to do for now."
New York State Health Commissioner Richard Daines said Monday that the number of confirmed cases include eight in New York City, where the number stands at 186. The total of new cases outside the city rose to 73, with five in Nassau County and one each in Westchester and Suffolk counties.
Late last week the city closed ten schools in Queens (IS 238, PS 16, IS 5, JHS 74, PS 107, MS 158, Our Lady of Lourdes, I.S. 25, World Journalism Preparatory and Q233) and one in Brooklyn (IS 318) after documenting confirmed cases of H1N1 at IS 238Q, and unusually high levels of flu-like symptoms in the other schools. The Health Department continues to work with the Department of Education to assess the situation daily and make decisions regarding school closures on a case by case basis.
"There is no doubt that he will continue to see cases in schools, cases in different facilities," said Frieden. "We may see additional serious cases, it would be surprising if we didn't."
The closing of 16 schools in New York City means more than 10,000 children will miss class this week. It's real struggle for many parents who are now struggling to find childcare.
"You don't go to work, you don't earn," said parent Joann Sison.
There are 400 students from St. David's, who are currently out of classes. The school's decision to close was made without a confirmed case at the school.
In New Jersey, the Robert Waters Elementary School in Union City also said it would close after one student tested positive. There are five other suspected cases at the school.
Mitchell Wiener, who worked as an assistant principal at Intermediate School 238 in Queens, died Sunday evening after succumbing to swine flu. Wiener, who had been hospitalized and placed on a ventilator, had been sick with the new H1N1 strain for nearly a week before his school was closed on Thursday. Complications besides the virus likely played a part in his death, officials said.
Symptoms of the swine flu include fever, cough, sore throat, body aches, headache, chills and fatigue. Some people have reported diarrhea and vomiting as well. Anyone experiencing severe symptoms, such as difficulty breathing, should seek health care and treatment. The best way to prevent additional cases of flu in schools is to stay home when sick, cover your mouth when coughing and sneezing, and wash hands frequently.
For those who are ill, the recommendation is to stay home until they are symptom-free for at least 24 hours.
More Swine Flu Information Online
(© 2009 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)
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