Schools close in French Alps after coronavirus outbreak

Three schools in the French Alps were closed Monday as five new cases of the coronavirus were reported last week at a ski resort.

Agnes Buzyn, the French minister of health, reported that five British nationals staying together in a chalet caught the virus after having been in close contact with another British national who had journeyed to the Alpine town after a business trip in Singapore.

He had tested positive for the virus upon his return to Britain.

The group of those reported ill includes a 9-year-old child who lives in the town of Contamines and attends three different schools. All three have been closed and students are being monitored for signs of the illness.

The child had studied at a Montessori school as well in the town of Thonon-les-Bains, an hour and a half away, where he had taken school tests at the end of January.

Local officials report that the five infected nationals along with six other British nationals who were in close contact with them are being kept at hospitals in Lyon.

Dr. Anne-Sophie Ronnaux Baron of the Regional Health Agency said in a statement: "It's important during this period that people avoid contact with others to avoid the possible transmission."

The town, near Mont Blanc, is one of the most popular ski destinations, and far from the major metropolises where the coronavirus has played itself out.

Saturday was the start of winter break for certain schools in France. Annick Roger, head of the tourist office in Contamines-Montjoie, said there had been weekend cancellations.

"People are panicking a bit ... it's normal," she said.

The virus remains a major concern on the world stage since its outbreak in Wuhan, China last December.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), the virus has to date caused 910 deaths and infected 40,484 people across 25 countries. France has reported 11 cases of the virus but no fatalities.

The WHO has already declared the coronavirus a global health emergency and will convene a global research and innovation forum of world scientists in Geneva on February 11-12 in response to the epidemic.