By Do Je-hae
Staff Reporter
Korea will raise its alert status for influenza A (H1N1) to its highest level this week, officials said Sunday. The government will discuss, in a national crisis assessment meeting Wednesday, whether to elevate the nation's anti-epidemic alert status to "Red," the highest in the four-stage disaster alert system, which also includes Blue, Yellow and Orange.
Under the Red alert status, the government may consider a nationwide school closure, mobilization of military medical personnel and travel restrictions, among other measures, officials said.
Since the first local outbreak in May, the new flu has forced the temporary closure of local schools and delayed student and public gatherings, as the country's death toll has risen rapidly, reaching 40 as of Sunday.
"As the number of daily H1N1 infections has topped 10,000, the situation requires systematic countermeasures," the Ministry of Health, Welfare and Family Affairs said. "It is necessary to raise the alert level."
Last Tuesday, Korea launched its first round of vaccinations under a plan to inoculate 35 percent of the country's population of 49 million.