Schools face being closed and public events cancelled if and when swine flu reaches Bermuda, health bosses warned yesterday.

Chief Medical Officer John Cann said the Island was now planning for an "imminent pandemic", following advice from the World Health Organisation.

King Edward VII Memorial Hospital is preparing to cater for up to 200 patients, with the possibility of 15,000 people on the Island developing some sign of the illness.

Yesterday evening, the toll of suspected deaths from the H1N1 strain of the disease in Mexico was at 168, although the confirmed number of deaths there was just 12.

The new strain of flu has now spread to 13 countries, including the UK, the US, Canada, Spain and Germany. More than 120 cases have been confirmed in 17 US states, including 50 in New York.

Dr. Cann joined Premier Ewart Brown and King Edward VII Memorial Hospital's Chief of Staff Donald Thomas for a press conference yesterday afternoon.

Dr. Cann said it was a matter of chance if swine flu reaches Bermuda. If it does, schools will be shut down, and gatherings of large groups of people kept to a minimum.

He stressed people would have to work together to help keep the Island, with families and businesses coming up with their own plans to cope, like they might if faced by a hurricane.

"We're all in this together if we are to keep our country functioning at optimum level," said Dr. Cann.

He added in the way of advice: "If you really think you are ill, the most important thing to protect our health system is you take steps with your physician to get good advice and think through what you do."

Regarding the likelihood of it reaching Bermuda, Dr. Cann said: "It's a question of luck. The odds are that given the places that people come to Bermuda from are all affected, then it's most likely going to come here."

Dr. Cann has been in talks with cruise ship operators telling them to look out for people with symptoms, while people flying to the Island have been given forms advising them to tell their doctor if they think they are infected.

The Premier said: "If we find a case in Bermuda it does not necessarily mean that someone from the outside dirty world brought it to Bermuda. Bermudians travel. It might be that there are some Bermudians right now in Mexico."

Dr. Thomas said the worst case scenario could see as many as 20 percent of people with some sign of swine flu. He said this equates to 15,000 Islanders, with about 200 going to hospital.

KEMH has three months of supplies for taking care of infectious disease but does not have the vaccine for it.