2.59pm: Two people in the Waikato have tested negative for swine flu.
Waikato District Health Board spokeswoman Amy Thomsen said the board is still waiting for a second round of tests that will be carried out in Melbourne and provide more conclusive results.
A third possible case in the Waikato
is still being looked into.
Medical officer of health Anita Bell said the person is well.
"Swabs have been taken, and they and their contacts are on Tamiflu and have been advised to stay at home," Bell said.
The results of the swabs will be known in two days time.
Meanwhile all Waikato residents who were on the NZ1 flight returning from North America on Saturday have been contacted and prescribed Tamiflu. They have also been asked to isolate themselves.
2.09pm: The number of people subject to swine flu precautions changed again today as health officials warned that pattern would continue and notifications would become more widespread.
Two more people from the Rangitoto College group which returned from Mexico via Los Angeles on flight NZ1 were confirmed today as having influenza A.
Four of the group have been confirmed as having swine flu, and another eight are likely to return positive test results.
Another person who was on NZ1 but separate from the group also tested positive to influenza A today, as did a separate traveller who has recently been to the United States or Mexico.
Both were considered likely to have contracted swine flu and were being treated as such.
Along with those 14, there were another 31 suspected cases around the country, with 179 more in isolation with symptoms.
Some presented with symptoms on arrival into the country late last night and this morning, with one being taken to hospital and the rest being subject to isolation and treatment.
Meanwhile, Julia Peters, from the Auckland Regional Public Health Service, asked that those who have been affected by swine flu in New Zealand be shown some respect.
"There has been some comment that students have been blamed for bringing this into New Zealand. I think that would be most unfortunate," she said.
"They should not be blamed for that, in fact I think we should be thanking them and their families for cooperating with the advice they were given...
"When they are released from quarantine we need to accept they are not infectious."
Dr Peters said the group needed to be able to return to school without questions being asked about whether they should be back among the community.
1.40pm: A member of the World Health Organisation (WHO) has dismissed claims that more than 150 people have died from swine flu, saying it has officially recorded only seven deaths around the world.
Reports have put the likely death toll from the virus at 152, with Mexican officials confirming 20 deaths.
But Vivienne Allan, from WHO's patient safety programme, said the body had confirmed that worldwide there had been just seven deaths - all in Mexico - and 79 confirmed cases of the disease.
"Unfortunately that (150-plus deaths) is incorrect information and it does happen, but that's not information that's come from the World Health Organisation," Ms Allan told ABC Radio this morning.
"That figure is not a figure that's come from the World Health Organisation and, I repeat, the death toll is seven and they are all from Mexico."
1.10pm: Argentina has joined Cuba in suspending flights from Mexico as a precaution against the spread of swine flu.
Cabinet Chief Sergio Massa said in a televised news conference the measure is in effect until midnight on Sunday to "transmit a sense of calm to Argentines".
"It's not a measure meant to punish the Mexicans, but rather to strengthen to the utmost our safety measures to care for Argentines," Massa said.
He called on the 60,000 visitors from Canada, Mexico and the US who have arrived in Argentina in the past 20 days to contact the Health Ministry by way of a free hot line.
Massa said the Health Ministry will take measures to control a possible spread of the virus, but did not elaborate.
12.45pm: Prime Minister John Key is concerned at the impact the swine flu confirmations might have on New Zealand tourism.
India had issued a travel warning and some Japanese tourists had cancelled trips.
"It is important to put it in perspective," said Mr Key, who is also Tourism Minister.
"It is highly likely that most countries will have some outbreak of swine flu."
New Zealand was handling the swine flu cases well and had high stocks of Tamiflu, Mr Key said.
"But obviously it is of concern to us that there could be a side-impact on tourism here in New Zealand."
Mr Key said he understood that India had issued a travel warning on a large number of countries, including the United States, Canada and Britain.
"It looks like they are taking a blanket approach. I still think it is very safe to travel to New Zealand."
11.13am: There are now 14 cases of swine flu-linked Influenza A in New Zealand.
Health officials were only alerted to the 14th case of Influenza A this morning. It is another plane passenger coming into New Zealand, who was not on the NZ1 flight on Saturday morning with the infected Rangitoto College students.
Health authorities plan to make the virus a notifiable disease.
10.44am: Two more people from Rangitoto College have tested positive for influenza A, as has a person from outside the group, with all the cases being treated as swine flu.
The Rangitoto College group returned from flu-torn Mexico at the weekend. Thirteen from the group have now tested positive to influenza A, with three of them confirmed as having swine flu. The rest are being treated as if they have swine flu.
All of them were being treated by regional health authorities, Health Minister Tony Ryall told a press conference this morning.
Further cases could be expected, he said.
Health officials said there were 31 cases suspected around the country, with 179 people in isolation.
Among that number are people who were on the same Air New Zealand flight from Los Angeles that the Rangitoto group travelled on.
10.23am: World Health Organisation spokesman Gregory Hartl, recalling the SARS epidemic earlier in the decade, says the flu virus strain is spreading so fast that efforts to contain it might prove ineffective.
"Border controls do not work. Travel restrictions do not work," Mr Hartl said from the WHO headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland.
10.18am: Health Minister Tony Ryall told a media conference this morning that reports show there are now 19 countries with suspected cases of swine flu.
"We note that in Australia there is in excess of 100 suspected cases," Mr Ryall said.
9.58am: The BBC is reporting that Mexico City has banned restaurants and cafes from serving everything except takeaway food.
The move is the latest precaution in the battle to stop the spread of swine flu, which is so far believed to have killed more than 150 people in the country.
9.46am: Canadian health officials have confirmed seven more mild cases of swine flu, bringing the country's total to 13, and warned against travelling to Mexico, ground zero for the illness.
"The more cases we see the greater the odds that some of those will be either severe or even to the point of death," said Dr David Butler-Jones, Canada's Chief Public Health Officer.
Canada's largest travel company, Montreal-based Transat AT, said it is bringing its customers and employees in Mexico back to Canada and postponing any further flights to the country until at least June 1.
The company said it made the decision after the World Health Organisation raised the level of the swine flu alert to Phase 4.
Toronto-based Sunwing Vacations also put on hold all departures for Mexico until May 29.
The Public Health Agency of Canada says any non-essential travel to Mexico should be postponed until further notice. More than one million Canadians visit Mexico each year.
8.51am: Cuba is suspending flights to and from Mexico as a precaution against the spread of swine flu.
The 48-hours suspension makes Cuba the first country to halt air travel with Mexico, where more than 150 deaths are believed to have been caused by swine flu.
Cuba's communist government said yesterday (4am today NZST) that it may also take further steps to restrict travel to Mexico if necessary.
Cuba has no reported cases of the flu.
8.26am: Two women with suspected flu symptoms have been detained by health officials after arriving at Auckland Airport this morning.
The transit passengers who were on a Qantas flight are in isolation and will be tested for swine flu.
A spokeswoman for the airport says the Ministry of Health has stepped up the screening of passengers on incoming flights and a medical team is now at the airport 24 hours a day.
Because swine flu is now in seven countries including New Zealand, the team is screening all inbound international flights.
Cabin crew are telling passengers with flu symptoms to present themselves to the medical team for assessment.
Health Minister Tony Ryall is stressing that the cases of swine flu detected in a group of Auckland students is mild and they are on the road to recovery.
Test results from Melbourne have confirmed that three of the students who contracted influenza symptoms in Mexico have the swine flu strain.
It is assumed 11 others from the college also have H1N1.
Mr Ryall says people should not panic.
"This is mild. Everyone is on the road to recovery. It's a time for caution and concern but not alarm."
Mr Ryall says while swine flu has the potential to become a pandemic, but New Zealand has quickly sprung into action.
Forty-three people are in isolation after coming back from Mexico or the United States in the last seven days and their test results are due back today.
Key developments so far:
Deaths: 152, all in Mexico, 20 confirmed as swine flu and the rest suspected.
Sick people: 1,995 people in Mexico contracted pneumonia but swine flu is not yet confirmed; 68 confirmed in the US, including at least 28 at one New York City school. Elsewhere: 13 confirmed in Canada; two confirmed in Scotland; 11 confirmed in New Zealand; two confirmed in Spain; and two confirmed in Israel.
US cases confirmed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC): 45 in New York, 10 in California, six in Texas, two in Kansas, and one in Ohio. State health officials report three more confirmed cases in California and one in Indiana.
US: The US Food and Drug Administration issues emergency guidance allowing certain antiviral drugs to be used in broader range of population if needed. A public health emergency is declared and roughly 12 million doses of Tamiflu from the federal stockpile are to be delivered to states. Non-essential travel to Mexico discouraged and arriving travellers are being questioned at Mexico border.
Some schools are closed in New York City, Texas, California, South Carolina, Connecticut and Ohio.
Mexico: All schools suspended until May 6. In Mexico City, surgical masks are being given to the public, venues are closed and public events have been cancelled. The president assumed new powers to isolate infected people. The World Bank is loaning Mexico more than US$200 million.
Worldwide: The WHO raises the pandemic alert to Phase 4 of 6, noting the disease spreads easily but isn't pandemic. The European Union health commissioner urges Europeans to postpone non-essential travel to the US and Mexico. Hong Kong and South Korea warn against travel to parts of Mexico. Airports screen travellers from Mexico and the United States. Some countries ban pork imports.
Financial fallout: Wall Street rebounded slightly after world markets fell due to worry that outbreak could derail economic recovery. Oil prices fell to near US$49 a barrel yesterday amid fears spread of the flu would further undermine demand by cutting travel.
- NZPA, AP, NZ HERALD STAFF, NEWSTALK ZB
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Anyone who has travelled to Mexico or North America in the last seven days should contact Healthline (0800 611 116) for information. They should seek medical advice if they are displaying flu-like symptoms.
