OUTBREAK OF PARALYSIS

Press, Volume LXXXIII, Issue 25367, 15 December 1947, Page 6

OUTBREAK OF PARALYSIS

NO LOCAL CASES OVER WEEK END

POOR ATTENDANCES AT BEACHES No further suspected cases of infantile paralysis had been reported to him during the week-end, said the Medical Officer of Health (Dr. J. H. Blakelock) last evening. He had received- no information about the suspected case under observation in the Christchurch Public Hospital, Dr. Blakelock added. Dr. Blakelock said last evening that his remarks published in “The Press” on Saturday regarding motor camps being placed “out of bounds” to all children under the age of 16, unless they lived there, had been misconstrued in some quarters. Many people Were under the impression, he said, that the restriction applied “only to motor camps at seaside resorts, whereas the restriction applied to all motor camps. The Christchurch public appear to be taking the restrictions seriously, judging by attendances of children at various beaches during the week-end. In normal times yesterday would have been an ideal day at Sumner, yet reports indicated that there were very few people, including .odd children under the age of 16, at tne beach. A representative of “The Press” who made a tour of several beaches yesterday afternoon found theffi much more sparsely populated than usual in fine weather. Most of those attending the beaches appeared to be children under 16 years of age. Some of them wore hats, but many did not. In one small area in front of the surf club rooms at North Beach were 30 children, all apparently under 16, while in another group 10 children between the ages of eight and 13 were huddled together, sunbathing. Beaches to the north of North Beach, and south near Pleasant Point, were almost deserted. Bus and motor-car traffic was almost negligible. On Friday evening there were few children in the streets, and on Saturday there were no queues for the theatres.