NYC School Official Dies From Swine Flu

Says city didn't provide a safe workplace for assistant principal

(NEWSER) - The family of Mitchell Weiner, a Queens middle school assistant principal who died in May after contracting H1N1, is suing New York City for $40 million, arguing that it didn’t provide a safe workplace, the New York Daily News reports. They also contend that the city didn’t notify Weiner that he’d come in contact with people who had the virus soon enough. More»

Measure allows dentists, pharmacists to help vaccinate

(NEWSER) - A surge in swine flu cases in New York state prompted Gov. David Paterson to declare a state of emergency yesterday. The move expands the categories of health care professionals who can administer the H1N1 vaccine, once a lot of it is available, to include dentists, pharmacists, podiatrists. While the state has seen 75 swine flu deaths since April, Paterson stressed that the order should be no cause for panic, CNN reports. More»

(NEWSER) - Millions of Mexican students are back at school this week as six of 31 states resume classes, the BBC reports. Parents and teachers spent days scrubbing down the schools with disinfectant, and many students are still wearing surgical masks as they return from their unexpected two-week break. Schools in 6 more states will stay shuttered for another week as officials investigate new flu cases there. More»

Lawmakers say English signs will bring in new customers

(AP) - The teeming streets of Flushing, Queens, can feel like a different country. A booming Chinese population exists alongside a longtime Korean enclave. Sidewalks are jammed with shoppers browsing and haggling in stores offering everything from iPhones to herbal remedies to fragrant dumplings. But to some, the area can feel a little too foreign: Two city councilmen are drafting legislation that would require store signs in the city to be mostly in English. They say police officers and firefighters need to be able to quickly identify stores. More»

Officials had taken measures to stop spread

(NEWSER) - The H1N1 swine flu virus has reemerged in Egypt, infecting 1,172 people and killing 56 since Oct. 8, Reuters reports. Some 16,373 have been infected in the country, with 281 deaths, since it was first reported there in June 2009. Egyptian officials last year culled all pigs, shut schools, and stopped sick travelers at airports. Worldwide, 18,450 have died from the virus, says the World Health Organization. More»