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NZ's border control tested in pandemic exercise
The Press | Friday, 11 May 2007
Health and government agencies will provide good protection for New Zealanders if a flu pandemic strikes, says a top doctor.
Dr Ramon Pink, a medical officer of health for Canterbury, said yesterday that he had confidence in New Zealand's border controls.
His comments follow an exercise at Christchurch International Airport that put them to the test.
PRECAUTION: Customs officer Karen Hennessy views "passengers" from behind a makeshift sneeze guard during a flu-like pandemic exercise at Christchurch Airport yesterday.
"We learnt some very valuable things that will provide a really good foundation for national, regional and local operations. I think with a few changes we would most definitely be able to keep it (the flu) out."
Exercise Cruickshank, the first pandemic exercise involving all government and health sector agencies, was aimed at strengthening the country's Influenza Pandemic Action Plan.
Yesterday, table-top exercises and a simulated response to a pandemic were held at most international air and sea ports.
It was the first day of a four- day exercise, costing about $750,000, aimed at testing border control, quarantine and hospital plans, disease containment, deployment of antiviral drugs and establishment of community centres to assess and treat people with influenza.
Pink said the Christchurch exercise was a great catalyst for agencies that had not worked together before to develop relationships and trust.
Yesterday, 30 soldiers acting as volunteers embarked from two international flights. Agencies, acting on a warning from the World Health Organisation of an escalation in human- to-human transmission of influenza, met the flights to screen passengers.
Evaluation of the exercise would help speed up and fine- tune pandemic response, Pink said.
Day two, on May 16, will be a table-top exercise aimed at stamping out influenza if it breaches the borders, while day three tests management strategies if the flu grips the nation. Day four, in late May, will discuss how to help New Zealand recover from a pandemic.
The Press | Friday, 11 May 2007
Health and government agencies will provide good protection for New Zealanders if a flu pandemic strikes, says a top doctor.
Dr Ramon Pink, a medical officer of health for Canterbury, said yesterday that he had confidence in New Zealand's border controls.
His comments follow an exercise at Christchurch International Airport that put them to the test.
PRECAUTION: Customs officer Karen Hennessy views "passengers" from behind a makeshift sneeze guard during a flu-like pandemic exercise at Christchurch Airport yesterday.
"We learnt some very valuable things that will provide a really good foundation for national, regional and local operations. I think with a few changes we would most definitely be able to keep it (the flu) out."
Exercise Cruickshank, the first pandemic exercise involving all government and health sector agencies, was aimed at strengthening the country's Influenza Pandemic Action Plan.
Yesterday, table-top exercises and a simulated response to a pandemic were held at most international air and sea ports.
It was the first day of a four- day exercise, costing about $750,000, aimed at testing border control, quarantine and hospital plans, disease containment, deployment of antiviral drugs and establishment of community centres to assess and treat people with influenza.
Pink said the Christchurch exercise was a great catalyst for agencies that had not worked together before to develop relationships and trust.
Yesterday, 30 soldiers acting as volunteers embarked from two international flights. Agencies, acting on a warning from the World Health Organisation of an escalation in human- to-human transmission of influenza, met the flights to screen passengers.
Evaluation of the exercise would help speed up and fine- tune pandemic response, Pink said.
Day two, on May 16, will be a table-top exercise aimed at stamping out influenza if it breaches the borders, while day three tests management strategies if the flu grips the nation. Day four, in late May, will discuss how to help New Zealand recover from a pandemic.
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