At a press conference Tuesday afternoon, Union City officials said that four other cases of swine flu were confirmed besides the young boy who was kept out of school since last week due to suffering from the illness.
One additional sixth case was not confirmed.
Officials announced that all the children are from the same grade and class at the K-8 Robert Waters School; however, they would not say which grade or class. The school serves 1,250 students.
Rumors said the students are second graders.
Town officials said they also planned to have an automated phone call to all parents with kids in Union City schools as well as a 24-hour hotline connected to the Robert Waters School nurse’s office: (201) 348-5925. In addition, they announced that personnel at every school would be calling home to all the parents of students who are currently absent from school to make sure they are receiving the proper treatment if they are exhibiting signs of the swine flu.
The town has also arranged for a mobile testing unit to be present outside the school starting when school i s back in session to whenever necessary.
With these five cases, the total number of confirmed cases of the flu in New Jersey is 22.
According to the Associated Press, “Burlington County has seen the most confirmed cases, eight. Camden County has had five. There have been two in Ocean County and one each in Monmouth and Somerset counties.”
So far, all of the New Jersey cases have been mild and no one has died. Adults have died from the virus in New York and Texas.