Japanese flu plan seeks to block virus entry

Published Thursday, February 12, 2009

By AP

Japan’s plan for any future influenza pandemic calls for shutting down airports, closing schools and organizing mass cremations of the dead in hopes of keeping the virus off its shores or at least containing it.

The government plan estimates that a new human flu virus could infect a quarter of the Japanese population and force 40 per cent of the work force to stay home. The Health Ministry said Thursday that flu could cause as many as 640,000 deaths in Japan if it were to spread across the country.

The Ministry says “it is important to delay as much as possible the virus’ entry through measures such as strengthening quarantine to take advantage of the special qualities of our nation as an island nation.”

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