Flu remedy: Chief Executive Donald Tsang (left) announces the school closure, while Secretary for Education Michael Suen (centre) explains the details. Secretary for Food & Health Dr York Chow urges people with flu symptoms to stay home.

Hong Kong has confirmed its first cluster of local cases of human swine flu, which means all primary schools, kindergartens, childcare centres and special schools will close for 14 days, from tomorrow until June 25.

Chief Executive Donald Tsang made the announcement today after a meeting of the steering committee on the fight against the pandemic.

"The steering committee just confirmed the first cluster of local cases of human swine flu. Twelve students of St Paul's Convent School have been confirmed to have the virus. We are unable to identify the source of infection, therefore they are indigenous cases," Mr Tsang said.

"We now migrate from the containment phase to the new mitigation phase."