May 5, 2009 1:09 pm US/Eastern
Confirmed Swine Flu Cases In NY Remains At 91
Westchester Prep School Closes; First Confirmed Case In Rochester, NY
Cautious Optimism As Virus May Have Leveled Off, But Health Officials Warn Of Second Wave
NEW YORK (CBS) ―
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DNA test kits of the the influenza A(H1N1) or Swine Flu virus prepared by PrimerDesign Ltd are displayed at the company laboratory in Southampton on May 2, 2009.
Leon Neal/AFP/Getty Images
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Westchester's health commissioner says two cases of swine flu have been confirmed in the county.
Commissioner Joshua Lipsman says the cases, both in children from Rye, were confirmed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. They're Westchester's first confirmed cases.
Lipsman also says Westchester's own public health lab has been certified by the CDC to confirm swine flu tests. He says that will make diagnosing much faster.
The commissioner also said Tuesday that he will reassess Monday's recommendation that Rye Country Day School, which has two probable swine flu cases, shut down for two weeks.
The number of confirmed swine flu cases in New York state has risen to 91 on Tuesday, with 73 cases in the city.
Meanwhile in Rochester, the first confirmed case of swine flu was announced on Tuesday; a young woman who contracted the illness during a recent trip to Mexico but has since recovered.
Health officials in Monroe County, which encompasses Rochester, say the unidentified woman developed symptoms two days after flying home from Mexico last month.
The county's health director, Dr. Andrew Doniger, is awaiting state lab results on 14 other suspected cases of swine flu.
The latest tally comes as students returned to St. Francis Preparatory School in Queens for the first time in a week on Monday. Swine flu sickened as many as 1,000 people associated with the school, city health officials say. The school had 45 confirmed cases and had become the epicenter of cases in the city.
Students streamed through the doors happy to return to school after the unintended week-long vacation. Department of Health Commissioner Thomas Frieden and State Senate Majority Leader Malcolm Smith joined Mayor Bloomberg as they welcomed students back.
"The good news is that it is no more serious than a seasonal flu," said Freiden at the Monday morning news conference held inside the school's grounds.
Of the 79 cases in New York City, the mayor said, three have no link to Mexico or St. Francis Preparatory School in Queens.
Meanwhile, New York City tourism officials launched a $1.7 million outdoor advertising campaign in Spain to woo residents to the Big Apple on Tuesday.
The campaign also is intended to assure Spaniards that New York City is safe to visit despite the swine flu outbreak. The number of confirmed cases of swine flu in New York state stands at 90. There are 57 cases in Spain.
Some 2,000 posters will be displayed throughout Spain.
The campaign also is tied to New York's attempt to boost tourism among gays and lesbians this year, the 40th anniversary of the Stonewall riots. The riots marked the modern gay liberation movement.
New York City is the top U.S. destination for tourists from Spain. Officials estimate they spent an estimated $389 million in the city in 2008.
(© 2009 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)
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