The Health Ministry has ordered the closure of SRK Assunta 2 in Petaling Jaya until June 27 in view of the A (H1N1) flu outbreak after a student was confirmed with local transmission.

The student had contracted the virus from the 43rd case reported yesterday.

The 43rd case is also a student from Assunta who had just returned from a vacation in Melborne.

swine flu h1n1 flu pandemic school children wear mask All of the school's students have been placed under home quarantine.

Yesterday, the SRJK(C) Jalan Davidson in Kuala Lumpur was ordered to close for a week after one of its students contracted the flu.

Health Director-General Dr Mohd Ismail Merican said the ministry had

also asked Seri Cempaka International School in Cheras, SMK

Seksyen 9 Shah Alam and SM Damansara Utama in Petaling Jaya to stop a class each.

He said the closure of the school and the three classes would be for a week in line with the protocol set by the national inter-ministerial committee set up to handle the Influenza A (H1N1).

Ensure kids stay home

He said parents of pupils and students in the school and classes concerned should ensure that their children stayed at home and not venture into public places.

"Parents and family members of those under house quarantine can go about their daily lives, however parents and family members of those tested positive for the virus should undergo house quarantine," he said.

The ministry further revealed that three more local transmission cases have been detected, bringing the total to seven. This does not include the 51 'imported' cases.

In a related development, Health Minister Liow Tiong Lai asked students to impose self-quarantine and not to attend public events which includes tuition classes.

Speaking to reporters in Parliament, he also encouraged students returning from America, Philippines and Australia to impose self-quarantine to minimise the chances of transmission.

He also said that the ministry can only appeal for people not to travel overseas and has no power to ask people not to do so.

No reason to panic

liow tiong lai h1n1 flu parliament pc 220609 02 However, Liow said here was no reason to panic as the people who come in contact with infected persons can be traced quickly.

The minister also appealed to the public to work with the government in containing the pandemic.

Deputy Minister for Education Wee Ka Siong also echoed the health minister’s call for self – quarantine.

He told the same press conference that 30 students from SMK Seksyen 9 Shah Alam had returned from overseas trips

"The parents of the students had voiced concern and the principal had asked the particular students to take time off," he said.