New Delhi, Aug 9 - The Delhi government Sunday prepared guidelines for home quarantine to tackle the swine flu outbreak in the national capital and stressed there was no need to panic or for schools to close down.

'We advise the people not to create panic and follow instructions issued by the health authorities. The parents and school authorities have also been asked to educate children about the signs and symptoms of H1N1 influenza to avoid panic,' Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit told reporters.

In Delhi, so far 278 people have tested positive for the influenza A(H1N1) virus.

There are 14 testing centres in Delhi of which 11 are run by the Delhi government, two by the central government and one is at a municipal hospital.

Around 178 people have been discharged from these centres while 58 are still undergoing treatment.

Briefing the media after an emergency cabinet meeting called to discuss the swine flu outbreak that has claimed four lives in the country, Dikshit said the government has commissioned a helpline number, 011-23921401, to provide information on swine flu.

'We have appointed a state level nodal officer and an additional nodal officer to effectively coordinate the issues related to the H1N1 influenza,' Dikshit added.