Sunday, May 17, 2009

Schools close all over Kansai

As far as I know, I have work tomorrow, but here is some interesting news for a lot of other teachers I know.

570 schools in Osaka, Hyogo to be closed due to flu
OSAKA —

Around 570 educational facilities—kindergartens, and elementary, junior and senior high schools—in Osaka and Hyogo prefectures have decided to suspend classes for certain periods following the confirmation of new flu infections in the prefectures, local authorities said Sunday. In Osaka, 20 prefecture-run high schools in the cities of Suita, Toyonaka and Ibaraki, where infected high school students live, will be closed through Saturday.

The two prefectures have requested private schools to follow suit. Osaka Gov Toru Hashimoto told a press conference, ‘‘I ask Osaka residents to wash their hands and wear masks...While the prefectural government will take all possible measures (to counter the new flu), I expect the people of Osaka to remain calm.’’ Hashimoto also said it would be necessary to shift the current emergency response to the new influenza to that for seasonal flu at some point, saying, ‘‘Otherwise, urban functions will be stalled.’’
Japan Today

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