As the long bank holiday weekend gets underway, the World Health Organisation swine flu alert remains at level five, and the advice from the Manx government is unchanged from the past couple of days.

At this stage there are no plans to limit travel to or from the Isle of Man, and there is no need to restrict or cancel public gatherings.

Arrangements are being finalised for the distribution of advice leaflets to all households in the Island next week, and a local helpline will be put in place at the appropriate time.

The public is also being advised that there is no increased health risk from pork products.

People who develop flu symptoms within a week of visiting affected areas are being told to ring their GPs, and they are being reminded that any out of hours calls will be transferred to the Meds service.

They should stay at home and limit contact with others. Everybody should follow general, good hygiene practices at all time, which can help reduce the transmission of the flu virus.

Symptoms of swine flu include a fever above 38 degrees, a cough, sore throat and muscle aches.

The UK Foreign and Commonwealth Office website is the best place to get advice on travelling to different parts of the world, and useful information, advice and links are available from a dedicated Manx government website, which can be accessed via the gov.im homepage.

The public is also being asked not to ring the emergency services with flu-related enquiries.