Seoul: South Korea Tuesday raised its national flu alert level to the highest level to reflect the rapid spread of the current influenza A virus, the Health, Welfare and Family Affairs Ministry said.
"Four to five weeks from now are expected to be crucial to get over the peak, and all governmental efforts will be used to prevent the spread of the influenza," Park Ha Jeong,
who is in charge of public health and medical policies at the ministry, told reporters.
The measure has come as the number of confirmed cases of influenza A has doubled in recent weeks with the onset of cold weather.
A total of 42 deaths have been linked to the influenza, the ministry said.
An average of 8,857 people caught the new flu per day last week, up from 4,420 tallied for the week before.
With the upgrading of the alert level, a nationwide central headquarters and regional headquarters will be set up to cope with the spread of the flu, Park said.
Other measures to be taken include vaccinations against the virus for school students, scheduled for mid-November, starting ahead of schedule.
Bureau Report
First Published: Tuesday, November 03, 2009, 15:52