QUITO (AP) - Authorities on an island in the Galapagos archipelago on Wednesday announced the decision to suspend school activities to prevent the spread of swine influenza in a large influx of tourists.
The Emergency Operations Committee of Santa Cruz Island, one of the four inhabited the archipelago, decided to suspend the activities in schools, colleges and universities until 7 September, said Leopoldo Bucheli, mayor of the island where eight cases were confirmed of the disease.
The governor of Galapagos, Jorge Torres, told the AP that the measure was adopted to "prevent the development of infection" because most cases were detected in two schools in Santa Cruz.
No cases have been reported in other inhabited islands.
Torres said he expected the measure "does not affect tourism." "This is a global problem, we must be practical in taking measures to prevent massive infection," he added.
He noted that the Galapagos National Park, the site where tourists can observe endemic species, "is not closed but are restricted" administrative activities.
According to the latest report by the Health Ministry, there have been 27 deaths caused by swine flu and 864 people are infected in the country.
The Galapagos archipelago, located 1,000 kilometers of the continent, was designated in 1978 Natural Heritage Site by UNESCO because it harbors plant and animal species, terrestrial and marine, considered unique in the world, although two years ago listed it "on risk "by the deterioration it has suffered.
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