The New Zealand health authorities have earmarked funds for three hotels as quarantine and treatment facilities to handle growing cases of influenza A/H1N1.

The hotels, near the Auckland International Airport, were rolled into the action plan to combat the virus after officials had trouble finding locations to quarantine international visitors, the New Zealand Herald online reported on Sunday.

Last week, a number of hotels refused to receive visitors who needed to be quarantined after showing symptoms at the airport. A spokeswoman for the Auckland Regional Public Health Service said the three hotels came forward after reading of the refusal.

The number of confirmed infection cases of the new flu virus in New Zealand has grown to four. Another 12 people are considered "probable" and 388 others are in isolation.

(Xinhua News Agency May 3, 2009)