Hotels earmarked for flu quarantine in New Zealand

Special Report:
World Tackles A/H1N1
Flu


WELLINGTON, May 3 (Xinhua) -- The New Zealand health authorities have
earmarked funds for three hotels as quarantine and treatment facilities to
handle growing cases of influenza A/H1N1.

The hotels, near the Auckland International Airport, were rolled into the
action plan to combat the virus after officials had trouble finding locations to
quarantine international visitors, the New Zealand Herald online reported on
Sunday.

Last week, a number of hotels refused to receive visitors who needed to be
quarantined after showing symptoms at the airport. A spokeswoman for the
Auckland Regional Public Health Service said the three hotels came forward after
reading of the refusal.

The number of confirmed infection cases of the new flu virus in New Zealand
has grown to four. Another 12 people are considered "probable" and 388 others
are in isolation.