MANAMA: Bahrain has lifted an emergency clamp on schools hit by confirmed or even suspected swine flu cases.

There will be no more automatic shutdowns of classes or schools, Health Ministry school health services chief

Dr Mariam Harmas Al Hajeri confirmed yesterday.

Inspectors will instead investigate confirmed or suspected cases to assess the risk within the school, before making any decision. Officials have axed previous rules that stipulated that if three swine flu cases were found in a single class, then the whole class would automatically be sent home for a week.

The old rules also stipulated that if three cases were found in more than one class, the whole school should close.

Orders that a school must shut for seven days if two per cent of its pupils showed ordinary flu symptoms have also been revoked.

The aim is to stop "absurd" situations where schools or classes are closed unnecessarily, said Dr Al Hajeri.