A seafood processing plant has sent all of its staff home after two workers contracted swine flu.
Seafood Products Ltd, which has around 100 workers, had hoped to continue production after its first worker tested positive for swine flu. The Christchurch company operates both day and night shifts.
However one staff member from each shift has now been confirmed with swine flu resulting in all workers being sent home.
New Zealand's swine flu epidemic is escalating rapidly and reached three figures overnight.
Several schools have been temporarily closed or had groups sent home, health officials fear unwell Christchurch churchgoers breached home isolation, the Police College in Porirua has postponed new courses, and Auckland public health officials have started reserving Tamiflu for people with symptoms.
Thirteen new cases confirmed in Canterbury late last night brought the national total of confirmed cases to 100. On Friday the count was 35.
Health Minister Tony Ryall said the Ministry of Health was stepping up advertising mainly around the "helping not to spread the flu" message.
Authorities were trying to delay the inevitable further increase in swine flu cases.
The aim was to delay the peak beyond the normal winter seasonal increase in flu cases, Mr Ryall said.
"Normally we would see about 31,000 medical admissions to hospitals a month during winter. Officials think we could end up with another 4000 or so if the swine flu peak matches the winter peak," he said.
"That is why we are working assiduously to try and prevent that from happening."
Virus hits schools
The highly infectious A/H1N1 virus appears to be rapidly moving through schools, reflecting the path it took in places like Japan and Victoria. It is not known if this is simply because of the high degree of social contact in schools or if it is characteristic of the virus.
The deputy director of public health, Dr Fran McGrath, said last night: "The age range [of cases] in New Zealand is from under 1, up to people in their 70s, but the majority of cases are in young people under the mid-20s."
She said that although the number of cases was rising, New Zealand still had relatively few.
In Auckland, St Patrick's School in Panmure, which has a roll of 145, was closed yesterday for seven days after 37 pupils reported flu-like symptoms and one case of swine flu was confirmed.
Westlake Girls, Kowhai Intermediate and Papatoetoe High each had one confirmed case.
The Auckland Regional Public Health Service on Sunday closed Westlake's Year 12 level for a week, asking the 450 pupils to go into home isolation. At least five teachers were put into voluntary home isolation for four days.
At Kowhai, the 24 pupils present from one Year 8 class and their teacher were sent home for a week in isolation.
Principal Paul Douglas said yesterday, "A group of children was showing signs of influenza over the last week and one of those children has been positively confirmed as having influenza A/H1N1."
The regional public health service said it had no plans yet to close any part of Papatoetoe High.
Canterbury District Health Board said there was now 31 confirmed cases in its region.
In Christchurch, nearly 50 pupils and five teachers from Burnside College are in home isolation after contact with a 13-year-old boy confirmed to have swine flu. He is part of an outbreak in the city's Samoan community.
The city's public health service is concerned some of those affected may have gone to church on Sunday despite being unwell and in home quarantine.
The Police College at Porirua said a second recruit had tested positive. Fifty people at the college had been put into isolation.
* What you need to know
Wash and dry your hands frequently or use a cleanser such as an alcohol-based gel.
Cover coughs and sneezes with a tissue and dispose of the tissue in a rubbish bin with a lid or plastic bag.
Symptoms include fever, cough, sore throat, stuffy nose, body aches, headaches, chills and fatigue.
If you develop symptoms, phone your GP or Healthline (0800-611-116) for advice, or visit www.moh.govt.nz.
Parents of students who become sick should contact the Auckland Regional Public Health Service Flu Line on 0800-358-546.
Ring before you go to a hospital or health centre because of the risk that you will infect other people already there.
- With NZPA
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