Swine flu latest: No school closures planned

The government has said it does not expect to order widespread school closures to prevent the spread of swine flu this autumn.

Despite a lull in the number of new cases, it had been speculated the new school term could be put back to avoid the H1N1 virus regrouping.

The government’s chief medical officer Sir Liam Donaldson told journalists on Thursday that a second wave of the virus was expected, but that automatic school closures were not the best course of action.

“We can’t be sure that the schools closing [for summer] are the only reason for the reduction [in cases]; we saw a peak in Scotland after they closed,” he said.

It was today revealed that in the last week the number of new cases has slowed, with 11,000 reported in the last seven days.

The number of consultations with GPs is also falling and most cases are mild with no signs of the virus changing.