San Benito County Public Health Information Officer Samela Perez
told the Free Lance today there are no confirmed cases of swine flu
in the county. She also spoke about the department’s communication
with schools and what steps might occur if a case is confirmed in
one locally. In that case, the school would shut down for 14
days.
HOLLISTER
San Benito County Public Health Information Officer Samela Perez told the Free Lance today there are no confirmed cases of swine flu in the county.
She also spoke about the department’s communication with schools and what steps might occur if a case is confirmed in one locally.
“We have gotten information from the state that if a child has a confirmed case of swine flu, they will be out a minimum of seven calendar days and the school will be closed for 14 days,” Perez said.
Perez added that any child with flu-like symptoms must be excluded from school for a minimum of seven days as well, per recommendation of the state health department. Flu-like symptoms include a temperature of over 100 degrees Fahrenheit accompanied by a cough or sore throat.
If school does come down with a confirmed swine flu case, the school would be closed for a minimum of 14 days at the direction of the county health director, Perez said. Other schools in the geographic area also would be considered for closing in that case as well.
As of Friday, all of the schools in San Benito County are still open with no confirmed cases of swine flu, while schools in neighboring counties have closed, Perez said.
She also suggested parents have a contingency plan in case their child’s school closes down so they can still work.
“Some suggestion may be telecommuting, alternative work schedules, identifying family members to watch children,” she said. “an alternative to what you have now.”
Local hospital representatives could not be reached before publication regarding the number of patients tested for swine flu.
