THREE more people were diagnosed with swine flu yesterday, taking the number of confirmed cases in the UK to 71.
The latest people confirmed with the virus are a child from the East of England and a child and an adult from London.
The HPA said all three were linked to people who had already been confirmed with the virus.
A Department of Health spokesman said: “So far, all infections in the UK have been mild, and cases have been diagnosed and treated early. This reduces the severity of symptoms, and helps to limit the spread.
“But we must not be complacent – it is right to prepare for the possibility of a global pandemic.
“The UK’s arrangements are continuing to ensure that we are well-placed to deal with this new infection.”
News of the new cases came after a nursery and a primary school in Scotland were closed amid fears that swine flu could be spreading among pupils.
Health officials ordered the closure of Ravenscraig Primary, in Greenock, Inverclyde, yesterday afternoon after a five-year-old boy was diagnosed with a probable case of swine flu.