AN employee at the South West Regional Health Authority (SWRHA) has tested positive for the Influenza A/H1N1 virus or swine flu.

Yesterday, the Finance Department at the SWRHA’s head office at Lewis Street, San Fernando, was closed. Two other employees also showed symptoms of having the virus, the Express was told.

All employees from that department were told to remain at home while the building was sanitised yesterday.

Other departments recorded low attendance, with those who did report for work complaining that they were at risk too, and should have been warned to remain at home.

Medical facilities are being swamped with people wanting to be tested for the disease, health officials said yesterday.

Meanwhile, at the Chaguanas Health Centre, several people stood under tents, braving yesterday’s rainfall as they waited to be tested. Several children and babies were also at the facility.

Security was also increased.

One official said there was only one doctor on hand and this caused the long lines.

And there were more reports of swine flu being reported at schools. Students from a Couva secondary school and Chaguanas primary school were seen leaving the compound early after suspected cases of swine flu.

Elton Wickham and Rory Subiah, of the Communications Department of the Ministry of Education, could not be reached to confirm these alleged new cases.

General secretary of the Trinidad and Tobago Unified Teachers’ Association (TTUTA) Peter Wilson said the organisation will be liasing with the Ministries of Education and Health to determine whether schools will remain open in light of the several cases that have been seen at schools.