Hong Kong: Hong Kong's government today ordered all kindergartens and primary schools to close for two weeks amid a growing flu outbreak.

It also asked one of its top scientists to study the deaths of three children over the past week.

Health secretary York Chow said Yuen Kwok-yung, who helped study Hong Kong s outbreak of severe acute respiratory syndrome outbreak, or SARS, about four years ago, will head a panel of scientists studying the recent deaths.

Chow said it was not clear if the three cases were linked but that he became concerned after the most recent death -- that of a 7-year-old boy on Tuesday -- because five of his classmates had also been hospitalised.

Chow announced at a late-night news conference that all kindergartens, primary schools and special schools will begin the Easter holiday early to prevent the spread of influenza in classrooms. He did not say how many schools and students would be affected.

Classes will resume March 28,he said.

Chow said a growing number of people have been suffering from flu and that bringing the Easter break forward would help reduce infections and calm public fears.

Source : PTI