REOPENING OF SCHOOLS

Press, Volume LXXIII, Issue 21992, 16 January 1937, Page 14

REOPENING OF SCHOOLS

FEBRUARY 15 AT THE EARLIEST

DEFINITE DATE TO BE

NAMED LATER

MEASURE AGAINST PARALYSIS OUTBREAK (I>KESS ASSOCIATION TELEaitAU.) INVERCARGILL, January 15. Public schools will not be opened before February 15. This announcement was made this evening by the Minister for Education (the Hon. P. Fraser), who added that the decision had been reached after consultation with the Director-General of Health (Dr. M. H. Watt) and the Director of Education (Mr N. T. Lambourne). This course has been adopted because of the situation created by the infantile paralysis epidemic. "It is something of a negative announcement," said Mr Fraser, "but the position will be reviewed again shortly and a definite date will be named."

SUSPECTED CASE

IN CITY INFANTILE PARALYSIS EPIDEMIC POSITIVE DIAGNOSIS THOUGHT UNLIKELY Alter an Interval of some days another suspected case of poliomyelitis has been admitted to the Christchurch Public Hospital for observation and diagnosis. The patient is a boy aged six years from Sydenham. It is expected that the diagnosis will be made to-morrow, but it is thought unlikely that this will be positive. It was explained yesterday that although it was thought that the diagnosis would probably be negative, there were symptoms similar to those of poliomyelitis and it was considered wise to send the boy to hospital for observation. When the Maunganui arrives at Lyttelton later this month on a tourist cruise restrictions will be placed on the passengers. Dr. J. Boyd, assistant Medical Officer of Health for the Canter-bury-Westland district, said yesterday, that notice had been given to the owners of the vessel, the Union Steam Ship Company, that as the vessel would be arriving from Port Chalmers no children would be permitted to land at Lyttelton. There would be no restrictions on the adult passengers but those placed on the children among the passengers would be rigidly enforced.

Dr. T. Fletcher Telford paid another Visit to South Canterbury, yesterday, this time conferring with medical practitioners at Ashburton. where two pastients, one from Highbank and one from Lyndhurst. are in hospital. After his return to Christchurch last evening, Dr. .Telford said that it had not been established that there had been definite contact between the child admitted some days ago, and the woman, aged 25, who was admitted on Thursday. The source of the infection had not been definitely traced, and in the meantime it must be regarded as a separate case.

IMPROVEMENT IN DUNEDIN

FEWER CASES, LESS SEVERITY STATEMENT- BY HEALTH OFFICER (PftESS ASSOCIATION TXLIOKAM.) DUNEDIN, January 15. The gradual improvement in the epidemic of infantile paralysis which has been apparent during the last week was continued to-day. Only one doubtful case was admitted to hospital, the patient being a girl aged five years, from Maclaggan street. The total number of notified, cases since the beginning of the epidemic is now 124, and in 33 cases paralysis in varying degrees was evident.

The medic.nl officer of health (Dr. T. McKibbin) stated that since December 28, when the peak of the epidemic appeared to have been reached, there had been a steady decrease in the number of cases. This had been particularly noticeable during the week, when fewer cases had been admitted, and there was also a lessening in the severity of affection. He added, however, that it was impossible to give any indication of what the future progress of the epidemic might be.

A suspected case of infantile paralysis was notified from Balclutha district to-day. The patient, a small boy, was removed to the Balclutha Hospital. This is the second case in South Otago, a man of 20 having been admitted on Tuesday.

STATEMENT BY DR. TELFORD

MAYOR OF WAIMATE SEEKS CORRECTION

U'KESS ASSOCIATION TELEGRAM.) WAIMATE, January-15. In reply to a statement by Dr. T. Fletcher Telford, Medical Officer of Health for Canterbury and Westland, that a wave of a mild form of infantile paralysis had been reported in the Waimate district, the Mayor, Mr George Dash, telegraphed Dr. Telford that only two suspected cases were reported from the district, both being eight miles outside the borough, and local doctors had no knowledge of any other cases or any alleged wave. Mr Dash, asked Dr. Telford to make a correction on the ground that the statement was misleading to the public and harmful toi the district

DENTAL CLINICS NOT TO OPEN A notification elsewhere in this issue advises that the school dental clinics which were to reopen on January 19, will remain closed for the present.