Swine flu alert primary closure

The situation at the children's schools is being monitored

A Glasgow primary school at the centre of a swine flu alert has been closed until Tuesday, 9 June, Health Secretary Nicola Sturgeon has announced.

She stressed the move, at the city's Annette Street Primary, had been taken as a precautionary measure.

Three pupils who attend the school are suspected to have the virus.

Two of them are the children of a 37-year-old man currently in intensive care at Glasgow's Victoria Infirmary, who is in a critical condition.

Ms Sturgeon said the number of confirmed swine flu cases in Scotland has remained at 14.

'Early action'

She also said there were five probable cases in Glasgow, four of which are the wife of the man in intensive care and their three children.

The fifth is a five-year-old pupil at Annette Street Primary and a neighbour of the family.

The health secretary said: "We know from experience south of the border that when precautionary action like this can be taken early, then we do have a good chance of stopping further spread."

Tamiflu will be issued to the children in the Primary One class of the child and public health officials will give parents advice and reassurance.

Translators will also be on hand to assist health officials, because of the high ethnic population in the area.

Shawlands Academy, the school attended by the 37-year-old man's elder child, will remain open as no pupils there have shown symptoms - although the situation is being kept under review.

There is also one probable travel-related case in the Lothians.

A total of 11 possible cases are also being investigated across Scotland - including close contacts of two Greek engineering students from Heriot-Watt University's Riccarton campus, in Edinburgh.

They have since returned to Greece, but have been confirmed as having contracted the H1N1 virus and both the university and public health officials are working to identify close contacts of the affected students.