Saudi Arabia closes two schools after student swine flu deaths

The official Saudi Press Agency says authorities made the decision after the deaths of a 12-year-old boy in al-Qasim province and a 14-year-old girl in al-Sharqiyah province on Saturday.

Saudi Arabia’s minister of education said in September that schools would be closed for a week if 10 per cent of students displayed swine flu symptoms or if a student died of the disease.

Saudi Arabia’s position as an important pilgrimage destination for Muslims all across the world makes it susceptible to the spread of swine flu.