Thailand should consider temporally suspending classes at all schools in a bid to curb the rising A/H1N1 virus outbreak, Deputy Prime Minister Sanan Kajornprasart said on Monday.

Sanan said he personally believes it is now time to temporarily close all schools so as to control the new virus spread, the website report by The Nation quoted Sanan as saying.

"The suspension should last two to four weeks during which major cleanup operation would be conducted," he said, adding that after the temporary class suspension, schools can resume classes and arrange makeup classes.

Earlier, he said he will propose the weekly cabinet meeting on Tuesday to purchase face masks worth 10 million baht (US$293,430) for those, who need daily traveling by public transportation.

Sanan, who chairs the national flu A/H1N1 virus prevention committee, said he will also propose the cabinet meeting to endorsea budget worth 70 million baht (US$2.05 million) to finance a public campaign to fight the new virus outbreak.

The proposals came amid the country's Monday report of three more death cases due to the flu A/H1N1 virus infection, which took the country's death toll to 21 since June 27.

The country also reported 329 more confirmed infected patients on Monday, bringing the country's total number of the patients to 3,883, according to the Public Health Ministry.

(Xinhua News Agency July 14, 2009)