Three days after the World Health Organization declared a global pandemic, Saudi junior health minister Khalid al-Zahrani said the ministry was shoring up health care services and monitoring for the disease.

But the kingdom would not restrict entry to pilgrims because of the threat, the official SPA news agency reported.

As well as the annual hajj pilgrimage to Mecca, which all Muslims are required to make once in a lifetime if they can, the faithful can also make a lesser pilgrimage to the holy places, known as omra, at any time of the year.

Saudi Arabia reported three new swine flu cases Sunday: a Mauritanian arriving from Canada and a Saudi brother and sister, taking to 12 the number of cases since the virus first appeared in the kingdom 11 days ago.

In Australia, Health Minister Nicola Roxon said that with the national tally nearing 1,500 cases, the whole country would soon move to the "sustain" phase in line with hotspot state Victoria.

This phase, Australia's second-highest, gives authorities the power to cancel sports events, close schools and restrict travel, although officials say extreme measures such as closing national borders are unlikely.

The World Health Organization raised its global alert to a maximum six on Thursday, saying swine flu had reached pandemic status because of its geographical spread.

Swine flu has so far infected almost 30,000 people in 74 countries and claimed 145 lives since it was first detected in Mexico in April, according to the latest WHO figures released Friday.

A total of 1,458 cases of the A(H1N1) virus have been counted in Australia, the worst-hit Asia-Pacific country, with the fifth highest number of cases worldwide.

"As the numbers gradually increase in jurisdictions there will be steps over the coming days to move to a consistent alert level," Roxon said.

Near the southwestern French city of Toulouse, health authorities confirmed seven cases of swine flu in a group of children from the same school in an outbreak that did not appear to have been brought in from abroad.

"The unique thing about this situation is that these cases are not linked to a trip abroad. The virus is present in our country," said Anne-Gaelle Baudouin-Clerc, chief of staff to the prefect of the Haute Garonne region.

Meanwhile, Thai Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva urged the country not to panic after health authorities reported 150 confirmed cases of the virus Sunday -- almost 10 times the tally just three days earlier.

"People should not panic. The death ratio for the new flu is probably lower than normal flu," Abhisit said.

It is in the southern hemisphere that the need for a vaccine is more urgent, as countries there are heading into winter and the height of their flu season.

Swiss pharmaceutical giant Novartis on Friday stole a march on competitors by announcing it had completed a first batch of its vaccine for pre-clinical trials.

A spokesman told AFP it hoped to have a vaccine in production by September or October.

Novartis said it hoped to start trials on patients in July and to gain a licence soon after. It said more than 30 governments had already asked for A(H1N1) virus "vaccine ingredients."

The US government gave Novartis 289 million dollars (205 million euros) to help develop a vaccine. It also placed an order with Sanofi-Pasteur of France, which said it hoped to have doses ready for clinical trials in coming weeks.

British-controlled GlaxoSmithKline said it could produce a vaccine in four to six months and that it was ready to convert a donation of 50 million doses of vaccine against H5N1 bird flu for the WHO to swine flu doses.

earlier related report
Australia to raise swine flu alert: health minister
Australia is set to raise its swine flu alert level as the number of people hit by the pandemic continues to rise, Health Minister Nicola Roxon said on Sunday.

With the national tally at nearly 1,500 cases with seven in intensive care, Roxon said the whole country would soon move to the "sustain" phase in line with hotspot state Victoria.

"As the numbers gradually increase in jurisdictions there will be steps over the coming days to move to a consistent alert level," Roxon said.

"It's inevitable that the disease will spread -- that's the nature of this type of flu -- and we know in most cases it will be very mild and people will recover quite quickly, and often in a number of days and often without any medical intervention," she said.

The "sustain" phase, Australia's second-highest, gives authorities the power to cancel sports events, close schools and restrict travel, although officials say extreme measures such as closing national borders are unlikely.

Swine flu has exploded in Australia this month, helping persuade the World Health Organization to declare its first global pandemic in 40 years.

Some 1,458 cases have been counted here, including top rugby league players. On Sunday, the national under-21 lacrosse squad was to be placed in individual isolation in a South Korean hotel after one member tested positive.

"I'm more concerned about the psychological effects it could have on some of the young guys," coach Greg Mollison told ABC radio.

"Obviously, if they are isolated for seven days with no contact with the outside world or each other, and at the moment they are all caring for each other, it's a concern."

Some students and staff at Adelaide's exclusive Westminster School were also quarantined after a 15-year-old boarder was confirmed with the disease, reports said.

Australia, now entering the southern hemisphere winter, is the worst hit Asia-Pacific country and has the fifth highest number of cases worldwide.

earlier related report
Australia plays down flu fears as pandemic declared
Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd played down the threat from swine flu on Friday, as the country left its alert level unchanged despite the announcement of the first global pandemic in 40 years.

Rudd stressed that Australia was ready to tackle the A(H1N1) influenza virus, which has infected 1,307 people here including top sports stars and left four people in intensive care.

Hours earlier, the World Health Organisation (WHO), noting the swift spread of the virus in Australia and elsewhere, declared a global pandemic. Swine flu has affected nearly 28,000 people in 74 countries, killing 141.

"I think in terms of preparedness we're okay," Rudd told the Seven Network, pointing to Australia's large stock of anti-viral drugs.

"But let's look at the fact that Australia is a highly mobile population and a lot of Australians travel internationally and as a result we've got some challenges to deal with."

Most of Australia, apart from hotspot state Victoria, is on the "contain" alert phase but officials will meet again in the coming days to discuss raising the level.

The next level, "sustain," gives authorities the power to cancel sports events, close schools and restrict travel, although officials say extreme measures such as closing national borders are unlikely.

"If people get sick, make sure they go to a doctor straight away, make sure there's an adequate supply of anti-virals around," Rudd said.

"Influenza, in any given year, can be a problem in any community. This is a strong form of influenza and we need to just be very careful and we're doing that on a daily basis."

Swine flu has exploded this month in Australia -- the fifth most affected country worldwide by the A(H1N1) influenza virus.

The number of cases rose rapidly after infected passengers were allowed to leave a cruise ship in Sydney before fanning out into the community. Only the United States, Mexico, Canada and Chile have more infections.

The WHO's pandemic announcement will give new impetus to efforts to combat the disease, which first appeared in Mexico in April.

In Hong Kong, which was hit hard by the 2003 SARS outbreak, authorities closed all primary schools after a group of schoolchildren became the city's first local "cluster" of cases.

Australia's caseload also continues to rise, with top rugby league players among those infected and numbers nearly doubling overnight to 36 in the region surrounding the capital Canberra.

Health Minister Nicola Roxon said the disease strain remained mild, adding that the four people in intensive care all had pre-existing conditions. She ruled out cancelling any weekend sports fixtures.

"That certainly is not part of our plans and we don't intend to do that," Roxon told Sky News.

"We are going to see NRL (National Rugby League) and AFL (Australian Football League) players affected the same as other members of the community," she added.

Australia is currently entering the southern hemisphere winter, aiding the spread of swine flu, which health officials worry could eventually mutate into a more lethal strain.

The last flu pandemic came after an outbreak of the H3N2 viral strain from 1968-69, which originated in Hong Kong and went on to kill up to two million people.

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