KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia: Nineteen new influenza A (H1N1) cases were reported yesterday, bringing the total number in the country to 1,390. Authorities are also awaiting the post-mortem report of a 10-year-old from Bagan Serai, Kerian, to see if it was a H1N1-related death.

Health director-general Tan Sri Dr Mohd Ismail Merican said there were no new confirmed influenza A (H1N1) admitted to intensive care yesterday and that one of the nine cases initially meant for intensive care yesterday had been transferred to an isolation ward.

The remaining eight cases in the intensive care units of hospitals included two obese persons, a pregnant woman and a patient with low immunity, he added.

In Perak, state health committee chairman Datuk Dr Mah Hang Soon said the state now had 49 confirmed H1N1 cases, an increase of four since Friday.

The Teluk Rubiah National Camp in Lumut was also closed after some of its trainees showed flu-like symptoms, said Dr Mah, adding that they were waiting for confirmation on the Bagan Serai case.

The institutions that were closed on Friday are SJK (T) Simpang Lima with 12 suspected cases; SJK (T) St Mary and SK Wawasan Pekan Baru, all in Kerian, with 22 suspected cases in total; the Tegas Mesra National Service camp in Selama; and the Universiti Teknologi Petronas hostel in Seri Iskandar, Tronoh, with 192 suspected cases.

In Malacca, there were five new confirmed cases. The Malacca Hospital is still awaiting the test results of 20 suspected cases yesterday.

State health director Dr Ghazali Othman said the four of them are national service trainees from Camp Taboh Naning, while the other was from Kolej Yayasan Melaka.

He also said that the nine-year-old girl from Bachang, who was initially admitted to a hospital?s intensive care unit on July 28, was in stable condition and recovering following treatment.

Since July 9, a total of 29 higher institutions, 11 secondary schools and one primary school were ordered to close temporarily. -The Star/ANN