Philippine health officials confirmed two more cases of Influenza A/H1N1 on Saturday, bringing the total number of infected patients to 16 in the Southeast Asian country.

The newly-confirmed patients are Filipinos, a 51-year-old female and a 21-year-old male who both had a history of travel to the United States and arrived in Manila on May 26, Health Secretary Francisco Duque told reporters.

Among all the cases, three patients have fully recovered and been discharged from quarantine, he said.

Since May 1, the health department has monitored a total of 240 cases under observation, including the 16 confirmed. Nineteen flu cases have pending laboratory results, and 205 others are negative for A/H1N1 and have been discharged.

While the flu cases are rising, the health chief saw no reason to suspend the opening of classes next week.

"At this time, there is no compelling reason to suspend the opening of classes on Monday, June 1. We only have 16 confirmed cases so far and they are all (except the three) confined in health facilities," Duque said.

"There is no sustained community level transmission of H1N1 anywhere in the country," he added.

The health agency has issued a set of guidelines on A/H1N1 response in schools, according to which the decision to suspend classes is on a case-to-case basis.

Based on the guidelines, the suspension of classes within a school can be announced by the school administrators concerned if there is already one or more confirmed case of A/H1N1. If there is already community transmission, the health and education authorities can announce school closure of one or more schools in the affected area.

(Xinhua News Agency May 30, 2009)