KIEV, Ukraine (AP) — Ukraine's prime minister says "there is absolutely no need to panic," but the government is closing all schools nationwide for a week to avoid the spread of the swine flu.
Meeting a shipment of anti-viral drugs at the airport in Kiev today, Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko (YOOL'-yah tee-moh-SHEN'-koh) describe the situation as an "epidemic" but said the government plans to increase its hoard of Tamiflu by at least another 300,000 doses.
Tymoshenko's main political rival, President Viktor Yushchenko (yoo-SHEN'-koh), says thousands are infected and he's called for assistance from NATO, the European Commission, the United States, Russia and other countries.
Ukraine's Health Ministry says 67 people in the country have died of flu, though it didn't say how many were swine flu cases.
The World Health Organization says there's no evidence that Ukraine has a bad outbreak, but it has sent at health team to the country at the government's request.
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