Birmingham Mayor Larry Langford ordered City Hall closed and cleaned Friday because of a case of swine flu, despite advice from the Jefferson County Department of Public Health that such a precaution was unnecessary.

“That was a decision by the mayor’s office,” said Wanda Heard, public relations coordinator for the county Health Department. “We spoke with them this morning and our recommendation was to not close City Hall.”

According to Heard, the Health Department gave the mayor’s office the same advice it gives to businesses and schools. Sick employees should stay home until symptoms such as fever are gone. Everyone should wash hands often and cover mouths when coughing. Vaccinations are recommended as soon as they’re available. Surfaces around sick employees should be cleaned.

Those recommendations come from the Centers for Disease Control, she said.

An employee in the city’s Information Management Services department contracted the virus and is home sick.

The mayor’s office has distributed bottles of hand sanitizer throughout City Hall and will clean the building thoroughly Friday.