INFANTILE PARALYSIS

Greymouth Evening Star, 30 April 1937, Page 2

INFANTILE PARALYSIS

PALMERSTON NORTH.

(PER PRESB ASSOCIATION.]

PALMERSTON N., April 29. ’ A child aged 15 months, admitted to hospital yesterday from Palmerston North as a suspected case of infantile paralysis, has been proved a positive case. Two suspected cases a boy aged 11, from Colyton, and a boy, aged 12, from Feilding, were admitted to hospital to-day. This brings the total in hospital, including suspected cases to 25.

NEW PLYMOUTH

NEW PLYMOUTH, April 29

Five cases of infantile paralysis were reported to-day in Taranaki. A Maori girl aged eight was admitted to the New Plymouth Hospital from Mokau. A girl, aged eight, from Kapuni, a boy, aged 12, from Kaponga, and a boy, aged three, from Eltham, were admitted' to the Hawera Hospital. A suspectpect from Ngaere, a boy aged 13, with weakness in a leg, was admitted to the Stratford Hospital. The Mokau, Kaponga, Kapuni, and Ngaere Schools were closed. The Eltham School has been closed for some time. MARTON. MARTON, April 22. Two infantile paralysis suspects, a girl aged five and a boy aged 10, were taken to hospital to-day. The town school has been closed on the advice of the Health Department. A doctor says that the symptoms suggest that the epidemic is on the wane. HASTINGS HASTINGS, April 29. A case of infantile paralysis has been admitted to the Napier Hospital from Hastings, the latest victim being a four-year-old girl. . This is the first case reported within the past 18 days. OPOTIKI OPOTIKI, April 30. Another case of infantile paralysis is reported in the borough. The patient is a Maori lad aged seventeen?

WELLINGTON.

WELLINGTON, April 30

A girl aged eight, from Island Bay, has been notified as a, positive case of infantile paralysis.

RE-OPENING OF SCHOOLS.

WELLINGTON, Ajril 29. The Minister for Health and for Education (Hon. P. Fraser) said today that inquiries were being received by the departments concerned about the date of the re-opening of schools in areas where schools have been closed as a precautionary measure against the spread of infantile paralysis, and he had therefore decided to issue a statement for the information of the public. “At present schools are closed as a group in three areas—the Wellington Education Board District north of Cook Strait; in that part of' the Hawke’s • Bay Education Board District north of Nuhaka, and including the East Coast area; and in part of the Auckland Education Board District in Waikato,” Mr Fraser said. “Because of the proximity of the school holidays, it has been decided that schools in these areas—primary, post-primary, native, and private—shall remain closed until May 24, the opening date of the second term. At present various boarding establishments in these areas have been allowed to retain their boarders, on the understanding that the movements of these pupils are restricted to the school grounds. Where the authorities concerned so elect, these boarding schools can now permit these pupils to return to their home, but on the definite understanding that such pupils will not be allowed to return to school until the day pupils are also permitted to assemble. “In these same areas, medical officers of health will continue to impose the restrictions now in force—the prohibition of the attendance of children under 16 from picture theatres, Sunday schools, and other gatherings. As part of the period between now and May 24 includes 10 days of school holidays, the medical officers of health are being told to exercise their discretion as to whether these restrictions aro lifted partially or wholly before May 24. In addition to the schools, which have been closed as groups, there are instances where individual schools have been closed because of the occurrence of cases of infantile paralysis. In the re-opening of these schools, the Education authorities will be guided by the advice o£ the medical officers of health.

“It is understood that the teachers will remain on duty at the schools until the end of the term in the three areas mentioned above, and in other districts. Where, in the opinion of the medical officer of health, such action is undesirable the Education authorities should not arrange, as part of the Coronation celebrations, functions in school grounds and other places that would involve the assembling of children.”