The Washington Postreports that the H1N1 virus or swine flu virus has already closed nearly 300 schools nationwide. Most of the school closures are in Texas where 147 schools closed when Fort Worth closed its entire school system for ten days.
Nearly 300 schools nationwide were closed yesterday to avoid the spread of swine flu, and education and health officials in the Washington area and elsewhere were working in tandem to reassure worried parents and weigh whether more campuses should be shuttered.
The bulk of the closures were in Texas, where the 147-school Fort Worth system closed for 10 days after confirmation of one case of swine flu at one campus and probable cases at three others. As of noon yesterday, schools in 10 other states reported closures to the U.S. Education Department.
Expect a lot more school closings because many schools are closing if even one case of H1N1 is confirmed. Confirmed cases of swine flu continue to be reported and many states now have suspected cases. You can find some useful online maps that show locations of confirmed swine flu cases here.
