Downing Street Says » Swine Flu

Asked if there would be any more briefings on swine flu today, the Prime Minister’s Spokesman (PMS) told the assembled press that the Prime Minister had been visiting the NHS offices in Beckenham this morning with Alan Johnson and there would be words from the Prime Minister at the visit.

There was no ministerial COBRA today but the Prime Minister and other Ministers were being kept up to date by the Secretary of State and the Chief Medical Officer (CMO) as people would expect. In relation to any further announcements it was best to stay in touch with the Department of Health.

Asked if there was any possibility of the cancellation of football matches, the PMS said that this was a matter for COBRA and the experts to consider. Alan Johnson had said earlier in the week something in relation to this but the current situation was that there were no restrictions relating to mass gatherings. However, as the CMO had said, it was important that those attending mass gatherings should continue to adopt good hygiene measures.

Asked if there was any fresh information on the football programme this weekend or any other sporting activity, the PMS said not that he was aware of, but that would be a matter for the experts. Asked if it was the case that experts were talking about the possibility of swine flu affecting the football programme, the PMS said that Alan Johnson had said earlier in the week that this was something that was being looked at as a whole range of issues were being looked. The situation at the moment was that there were no restrictions relating to mass gatherings.

Asked if the Prime Minister was concerned that the virus had appeared to have infected people not on the flight back from Mexico, the PMS replied that at the moment that was just speculation. As and when the Department of Health were able to confirm any more cases or say anything more about the circumstances of those cases, they would do so. The threat level had been raised and the World Health Organisation (WHO) did consider a global pandemic to be imminent and that was why we were taking all necessary action in order to contain its impact in the UK.

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» Friday, May 1, 2009

Swine Flu

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