PALMA
THE spread of swine flu in the Balearic Islands is running at a slightly lower rate than in the rest of Spain, said regional Health Minister, Vicenç Thomas yesterday.
Speaking in the Plaza Espanya in Palma, Thomas said that data collected for the 4th to 10th October showed that there were 89.56 cases of swine flu for every 100'000 head of population in the Islands, whilst the national average was a rate of 98.65 cases. He confirmed that the virus seemed to have become stationary but was likely to spread further given the advancing cold at this time of year. The Minister said there is no cause for alarm and recommended people continue to take preventative measures such as frequent hand washing.
Thomas said that across the country as a whole, there are currently 44'084 people suffering from flu. Of this total, 95.3 percent, 42'001 cases have been confirmed as resulting from the H1N1 (swine flu) virus.
The rate of contagion, however, has slowed down in comparison with previous weeks, said Thomas.