OUTBREAK OF PARALYSIS

Press, Volume LXXXIII, Issue 25364, 11 December 1947, Page 8

OUTBREAK OF PARALYSIS

INTER ISLAND TRAVEL BAN ON CHILDREN FROM SATURDAY (P.A.) WELLINGTON, December 10. A ban on the inter-island travel of children up to the age of 16 will be imposed from midnight on Saturday. Announcing this to-day. the Minister of Health (Miss M. B. Howard) said that if it was necessary to impose further restrictions on movement and congregations the Government would not hesitate to take drastic steps in the interests of the well-being of the people. She urged all adults to refrain m the meantime from congregating unnecessarily. TWO SUSPECTS IN HOSPITAL TESTS SO FAR NEGATIVE MORE CANCELLATIONS OF TRAVEL BOOKINGS Two suspected cases of infantile paralysis in the Canterbury district have been admitted to hospital, but so far tests are negative. Making this announcement last evening. Dr. J. H. Blakelock. District Medical Officer of Health, said no positive cases had so far been determined in the district. Dr. Blakelock said that in general the public appeared to be co-operating well in the observance of the restrictions imposed on gatherings. He urged upon parents the advisability of keeping children at home as far as possible, otherwise they would completely nullify the object of closing the schools and prohibiting the congregation of children. Cancellations of bookings are still being reported by transport services, although the manager of the Christchurch office of the Tourist and Publicity Department (Mr W. A. Pickford) said that the number received at his office yesterday was very many fewer than earlier in the week. The Railways Department in Christchurch reported yesterday that there had been a fairly large number of cancellations of train reservations; and many travellers nad sought to advance their bookings to earlier dates. Only limited seating was available on trains, as each already comprised the full load for one engine. No extra carriages were being run.

Air services and the inter-island steamer express service have also been affected to a limited degree by cancellations, but it was stated at the Christchurch office of the Union Steam Ship Company yesterday that there were equally as many applications for passages as cancellations. There have not so far been many cancellations of air .passages. On the steamer express service, there have been a fair number. All services, both air and sea. will be maintained as usual The opinion was expressed by an official of the Union Company that the number- of cancellations had not been as many as might have been expected. Precautions are being enforced by the staffs of the Christchurch City Council’s chief insoector (Mr J. W. Huggins) and the City Engineer (Mr E Somers), particular attention being paid to the cleanliness of food premises and the fly menace. A Christmas' party which was to have been held by the Health Departments staff in Christchurch this week has been cancelled. Several other functions te have been held shortly in Canterbury have also been abandoned or postponed.

NO NEW CASES IN AUCKLAND

FOUR SUSPECTS PROVE POSITIVE (P A.) AUCKLAND, Dec. 10. The number of positive infantile paralysis cases in the Central Auckland health district rose from 32 to 36 No cases were admitted to the Auckland Hospital, but four of the suspected patients were diagnosed as positive. Two other suspects were declared negative, leaving six suspected cases in hospital. FOUR WELLINGTON CASES (P.A.) WELLINGTON, December 10. Four positive cases of infantile paralysis and two suspicious cases are at present in the Wellington Hospital. One of the suspicious cases was admitted on Tuesday and the other today. All other suspected cases have been ruled out as cases of infantile paralysis, and the district medical officer of health (Dr. Hubert Smith) said to-day that some of them had been sent home. One case was diagnosed as positive, but the total of these remains at four, as one case previously diagnosed as positive had been found to be a case of a non-epidemic type of meningitis. “So far, the cases have fortunately been of a mild type,” said Dr. Smith. Advice was alsn received by Dr. Smith to-day of two suspected cases in Nelson. They are two young children in the same family.

CLOSING OF SCHOOLS WELLINGTON EDUCATION BOARD’S VIEWS (P.A.) WELLINGTON, December 10. The Wellington Education Board today passed the following resolution: “That while appreciating the right of the health authorities to close schools without reference to Education Boards, it is respectfully suggested to the Minister of Education that on future occasions arrangements consequent upon such a decision should be discussed with the Education Boards’ Association, so that essential details can oe co-ordinated before a public announcement is made.”