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False level 6 alert from Fiji Daily Post

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  • False level 6 alert from Fiji Daily Post

    Fiji Daily Post has reported that the WHO has just raised the pandemic alert to 6. Can't find anything in WHO/government/media/blogosphere to confirm the alert has changed.


  • #2
    Re: False level 6 alert from Fiji Daily Post

    Further info on this, but this article is 2 days old


    Influenza A/H1N1 will reach Fiji: minister
    www.chinaview.cn 2009-05-19 17:20:38 Print

    SUVA, May 19 (Xinhua) -- Fiji must now brace itself for the arrival of Influenza A/H1N1 after the World Health Organization upgraded the alertness to Phase 6 on Tuesday.

    Fiji's Health Minister Neil Sharma, who was attending the WHO assembly in Geneva, Switzerland, said on Tuesday that the WHO had announced that the alertness has been upgraded to Phase 6 because of the way the disease has been spreading throughout the world.

    As of Tuesday, 40 countries have officially reported 8,829 cases of Influenza A/H1N1 infection, including 74 deaths.

    The list includes one confirmed case in Australia, nine in New Zealand, three in South Korea, 4,714 in the United States, 101 in Britain, 125 in Japan and 496 in Canada.

    All these countries have air-links to Fiji.

    Sharma said the local preparation needs to be on full alert, with the health system up and ready to treat patients.

    He said there was no question on whether the disease will get to Fiji or not but a question of when it will hit Fiji.

    "And we must be ready for that time - when it does hit us," Sharma said.

    "People must continue to practise healthy living and take heed of all the warnings and advice we have given them," he said.

    "The Ministry of Health must have its entire staff ready to treat and have a contingency plan ready if indeed we do get multiple cases," he added.

    Sharma said that since Fiji is the hub of the South Pacific, "we are at risk more than anyone else in the South Pacific."

    "If it does come to the South Pacific it will come through us first because flights come in through Nadi and ships come in through our ports," he said.

    "So we have to be prepared. We must have our guards up," he added.

    He said it was important that people are re-assured about the process that has been taken to ensure we are protected and ready if we do get some cases.

    "We have to get the tourism industry to do their bit, the schools and school management teams, the Customs, Immigration, Health and other Border Control people to play their part too," he added.

    "Everyone must now join hands and work together because it is now inevitable that the virus will get to Fiji," Sharma said.

    Comment


    • #3
      Re: False level 6 alert from Fiji Daily Post

      It is on the Fiji government site:



      Flu alert upgraded to Phase 6
      May 19, 2009, 18:14 Email this page
      Printer friendly page

      Fiji must now brace itself for the arrival of the Influenza A (H1N1) after the World Health Organisation upgraded the alertness phase to Phase 6 today, in its current Assembly being held in Geneva, Switzerland.

      Health Minister Dr Neil Sharma, who is attending the meeting, said from Geneva today that the WHO had announced that the alertness has been upgraded to Phase 6 because of the way the disease has been spreading throughout the world.

      As of today 40 countries have officially reported 8829 cases of Influenza A (H1N1) infection, including 74 deaths.

      The list includes 1 confirmed case in Australia, nine (9) in New Zealand, three (3) in the Republic of Korea, 4714 in the United States of America, 101 in the United Kingdom, 125 in Japan and 496 in Canada.

      All these countries have air-links to Fiji.

      Dr Sharma said the WHO meeting discussed the Influenza A (H1N1) at length.

      ?It was a hot topic of discussion and there was a lot of discussion on the issue, especially the provision of anti-virals and the manufacturing of vaccines,? Dr Sharma said from Geneva.

      He said the WHO had agreed to look into ways of making the anti-virals, Tamiflu, readily available and accessible to everyone.

      ?The WHO has agreed to help in making the anti-virals readily available and accessible to everyone, including developing and under-developed countries,? Dr Sharma said.

      ?There will be locations identified where the anti-virals can be stocked, ready for distribution to countries that would need them.

      Dr Sharma said the meeting had discussed the production of vaccines that could be used.

      ?Countries like China, Russia and Ethiopia are ready to start and England has shown that they will be putting in a lot of money in this issue.?

      Dr Sharma said the local preparation needs to be on full alert, with the health system up and ready to treat patients.

      He said there was no question on whether the disease will get to Fiji or not but a question of when it will hit Fiji.

      ?And we must be ready for that time ? when it does hit us,? Dr Sharma said.

      ?People must continue to practise healthy living and take heed of all the warnings and advise we have given them.

      ?The Ministry of Health must have its entire staff ready to treat and have a contingency plan ready if indeed we do get multiple cases.?

      Dr Sharma said that since Fiji is the hub of the South Pacific ?we are at risk more than anyone else in the South Pacific?.

      ?If it does come to the South Pacific it will come through us first because flights come in through Nadi and ships come in through our ports,? he said.

      ?So we have to be prepared. We must have our guards up.?

      He said it was important that people are re-assured about the process that have been taken to ensure we are protected and ready if we do get some cases.

      ?People should be assured that we will be able to handle cases if they do get confirmed in Fiji and the onus is on all of us, stakeholders involved, to keep sending those messages to members of the public,? Dr Sharma said.

      ?We have to get the tourism industry to do their bit, the schools and school management teams, the Customs, Immigration, Health and other Border Control people to play their part too.

      ?Everyone must now join hands and work together because it is now inevitable that the virus will get to Fiji.?



      -End-
      (No.1072)

      Comment


      • #4
        Re: False level 6 alert from Fiji Daily Post

        The current WHO phase of pandemic alert is 5.



        Comment


        • #5
          Re: False level 6 alert from Fiji Daily Post

          Thanks everyone.

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