Bloomsberg.com, says: "Australia has confirmed 103 cases of swine flu and authorities warned that the tally would increase.
The nation has 103 cases and four people have been hospitalized, Health Minister Nicola Roxon told reporters in Canberra. The outbreak of swine flu, officially known as H1N1, has forced the closure of six schools across the country and prompted businesses and governments to embark on efforts to contain its spread.
“We do expect that that number might increase in the course of the day,” Roxon said in Canberra, adding that the government’s order for vaccines from CSL Ltd. should be ready within months. “We will purchase doses to cover 10 million people.”
Qantas Airways Ltd., Australia’s largest carrier, has quarantined about 20 staff who had direct contact with passengers confirmed to have the virus on flights primarily from North America. The airline, which hasn’t confirmed any infections among its staff, made the decision after advice from its own medical services and Australian health authorities, it said in a statement.
Meanwhile, the state of New South Wales upgraded its protocols for arriving cruise ships, saying it will treat symptoms of flu on such vessels as swine flu, pending tests to clear any infected individuals, state Health Minister John Della Bosca said in a statement yesterday.
