THE Balearic Ministry for Health yesterday confirmed five new cases of swine flu H1N1 - three men and two women - four on Majorca and one on Minorca. This brings the total in the region since the outbreak of the virus to 9.
The ministry said yesterday that two of the cases were confirmed by Son Dureta hospital in Palma and the remaining three by the flu watch network set up in local surgeries.
A spokesman said that two of the men on Majorca are aged 26 and a third is 63 years-old. The woman is 29 years-old. It has been necessary to hospitalise only one of the younger men. On Minorca, a 23-year-old woman has been affected, the first on the island.
The Ministry for Health has already set up 33 flu watch points around the Balearic Islands: 27 on Majorca (12 in Palma and 15 in outlying areas); 3 on Minorca and 3 on Ibiza. These health centres have facilities for on the spot testing of suspect cases of swine flu so that the spread of the pandemic can be tracked. Because of the ease with which the virus moves amongst the population in general, the World Health Organisation declared its fullest alert (Phase 6) on 11th June.