Swine Flu-Worried Parents Want Their Schools To Close

The city is closing six additional schools after a numerous cases of "influenza-like illness" among students. Four of the schools (in a total of two buildings) are in East Harlem while two schools (in one building) are in Brooklyn's Sunset Park neighborhood. In the meantime, parents at schools which have yet to close are anxious. At PS 96 in Queens and at PS 180 in Brooklyn, parents protested. A PS 96 mom told the Daily News, "These are 4- and 5-year-olds coming down with 102-degree fevers and infecting their siblings. There is no logical explanation why our school is not closed." And PS 180 is in the same building as a school that did close. However, in spite of the absentee rates, the Health Department says, "High absenteeism by itself is not a reason for closing schools," noting no students at PS 96 and PS 180 went to the nurse with symptoms or had flu-like symptoms. (What is they were already at home!?) The city is now reporting 388 swine flu cases.