BMA orders city-wide 'big cleaning day'

In the wake of influenza A(H1N1) infections, Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) is calling on all businesses to thoroughly clean their facilities this week.

"Big Cleaning Day should take place between June 16 and June 18," Deputy Bangkok Governor Dr Malinee Sukvejvorakij said yesterday.

Bangkok Governor MR Sukhumbhand Paribatra said BMA was also ready to help in the cleaning operations at Bangkok-based schools, if requested.

"Please contact your district office," he said.

BMA has already started cleaning fresh markets in the capital too in a bid to reduce the influenza A(H1N1) threat.

Currently, the number of confirmed new influenza patients has risen to over 200, many of whom are students at local schools.

In Bangkok, the Triam-udomsuksanomklao School became the latest institute to close down temporarily over the new disease. "We will re-open on June 22," director Sarayut Fusapnirun said.

He announced the decision after a Grade-8 student at the school came down with the influenza virus.

In Pathum Thani, the Thanyarat and Tanyawittaya (Thongmin) schools have also decided to suspend all classes during the same period after dozens of students reported a high fever at the same time.

Nearly 100 students from both schools were sent to the Thanyaburi Hospital yesterday.

 "We have admitted seven students," the hospital's director Dr Winyu Winairat said, "We have also admitted a parent".

The patients are still waiting to hear the results of lab tests, which will tell whether they have been infected with the influenza A(H1N1).

Meanwhile, Mahidol University's vice president Assoc Prof Preecha Soontranan said the university had suspended all classes at the Faculty of Public Health because four students there had caught the infectious disease.

"The classes will resume next Monday," he said.

Also temporarily closed are the St Gabriel, St Francis Xavier, Mahidol Wittayanusorn, Wat Chang, Nawamintrachinutit Satriwitthaya Putthamonthon, and some other schools.

At a press conference, the Disease Control Department spokesman Dr Supamit Chunsuttiwat said the school closures were in fact an unnecessary measure.

"The closure should take place only if the school doesn't know which students are infected or only if so many students have fallen ill," he said.

He said if the infected students are identified, the school can require only those students to take leave.

"Most of all, schools must regularly clean railings, doorknobs, elevators buttons and computer keyboards," Supamit said.