POSTPONED AGAIN

King Country Chronicle, Volume XXXI, Issue 4951, 4 February 1937, Page 5

POSTPONED AGAIN

OPENING OF SCHOOLS. INFANTILE PARALYSIS. All restrictions which have been imposed as the result of the epidemic of poliomyelitis, except that relating to the opening of public and private schools, have been lifted as from Saturday next by the Minister of Health (the Hon. P. Fraser) on the recommendation of his medical officers. This means that the ordinary social life of the community, including that of children, may be resumed. Schools however will not reopen before Ist March. The Minister has stated that a survey of the position showed that in Dunedin —the only place where the disease had ever attained really epidemic proportions—the outbreak had subsided. Both in Dunedin and other parts of New Zealand, however, sporadic cases were still occurring, and doubtless would continue to occur for many weeks to come. The Department would continue to watch the position most closely, and the Minister said that he had instructed the medical officers that if there was a tendency to epidemic spread in any community, they should not hesitate to re-apply the restrictive measures which appeared to have been so successful in the past.

It would be remembered, the Minister stated, that an announcement had been made some time ago to the effect that schools would not resume before February 15 at the earliest. It had now been decided that all schools—primary, secondary, combined, technical, native and private schools—and training colleges, would re-open on Monday, March 1. Teachers would resume duty at schools on Monday, February 22. The Correspondence School re-opened on the usual date, February 1.