KIEV, October 30 (RIA Novosti) - Ukraine will impose a quarantine in nine regions to curb the spread of the swine flu virus, the prime minister said on Friday.

Speaking at an emergency session of the government and a pandemic commission, Yulia Tymoshenko also said all public places such as cinemas would be closed for three weeks and school holidays prolonged.

Earlier reports said 30 people had died between October 19 and 29 during an outbreak of a flu believed to be the A/H1N1 strain.

Health Minister Vasyl Knyazevych said earlier on Friday the A/H1N1 virus had been confirmed in 11 patients and as the cause of one fatality.

Knyazevych said tests on one dead person had so far been conducted and proved positive. Tests are continuing.

"Ukraine has joined the global pandemic zone," he told a news conference.

In Ukraine, the virus originated in the Tirnopol Region and is believed to have spread to the neighboring Ivano-Frankovsk, Lvov and some other regions, where a total of 951 people have been hospitalized with suspected swine flu.