TOKYO: Japan's health ministry confirmed dozens of new cases of swine flu in waves of announcements yesterday, as the government shut down schools and canceled community activities in affected cities.

The country now has 44 confirmed cases, with 39 of them reported over the weekend. Most of them are teenagers.

The latest yesterday evening included 11 high school students and a family member in the western prefecture of Hyogo. Hours earlier, the ministry confirmed seven other patients, including five teenagers, a teacher in his 40s and a male college student in the same region.