Three more schools in New York City will close over swine flu concerns, starting Monday.

Health Commissioner Thomas R. Frieden and Schools Chancellor Joel I. Klein announced Sunday that the City Health Department recommended closing the three schools in Queens for up to five school days.

The schools are the Marie Curie School (M.S. 158Q)in Bayside, Our Lady of Lourdes in Queens Village, and I.S. 25Q in Flushing.

Officials found unusually high and increasing levels of flu-like illnesses.

Last week, the city closed six schools: I.S. 238, P.S. 16, I.S. 5, JHS 74 and P.S. 107 in Queens, and I.S. 381 in Brooklyn. Health officials documented confirmed cases of swine flu at I.S. 238, and high levels of flu-like symptoms in the other schools.

“We are now seeing a rising tide of flu in many parts of New York City,” said New York City Health Commissioner Thomas R. Frieden. “With the virus spreading widely, closing these and other individual schools will make little difference in transmission throughout New York City, but we hope will help slow transmission within the individual school communities.”

“It appears at this point, at least in schools in New York City, in these days to be spreading more rapidly than traditional influenza spreads. We don’t know why that is,” said Frieden.

At least four students at IS 238 have confirmed cases of swine flu. While most have mild symptoms, the assistant principal, Mitch Wiener, has the most serious case of swine flu the city has seen so far, and he remained hospitalized in critical condition. Wiener’s family believes the school should have closed sooner.

Mayor Michael Bloomberg said these cases of swine flu are generally mild though, and that with the exception of Wiener, victims have recovered quickly.

The mayor said the assistant principal of IS-238, Mitch Wiener, may have had pre-existing health problems — but on Friday, Wiener’s son Adam said his father had only suffered previously from gout, which he said was unrelated to his current condition. He said his 55-year-old father is now suffering from pneumonia, kidney failure, dehydration and a lung infection.

(Source: WCBSTV)