Hometown News: Swine Flu Update

A case of swine flu has been confirmed in Chautauqua County. Health officials say the total number of confirmed cases in the state now stands at 90. The Bemus Point Central School District reopened today after closures last Friday and yesterday. A male student was reported to have a probable case of the swine flu. Chautauqua County health officials say they felt confident that it was safe to reopen the schools today. The state Education Department released a statement yesterday that said it will not grant exemptions to the 180-day rule for schools closed because of swine flu.

After receiving an unexpected week off due to the school being closed for a week, students returned to Saint Francis Prep in Queens, the epicenter of swine flu outbreak in New York. Janitors spent the past week scrubbing down the Fresh Meadows high school. Principal, Brother Leonard Conway, says some parents waited till today to send their children back to school, but attendance was high yesterday.

Governor Paterson's office reports that no new swine flu cases were reported outside of New York City on Monday, with the number of confirmed cases remaining at 17. There are 73 confirmed cases in New York City. All of the cases have been relatively mild, with no fatalities reported.