NYC Shuts 3 Schools in New Swine Flu Fear

New York City has closed three public schools where large numbers of student have become ill with flu-like symptoms, the New York Times reports. The assistant principal at one of the schools is in critical condition with the most serious case of swine flu the city has seen, though he has other health problems that may have made him more susceptible, officials said. Four students at the school have also been diagnosed with the virus.

There was no clear connection between the illnesses at the three schools, which will be shut down for at least a week to prevent transmission of the virus. They are all within six miles of one another. "We are acting as promptly as the evidence requires us to do," said Mayor Michael Bloomberg, who denied that the city had let down its guard too early. (More swine flu stories.)