tetano
Editor, Senior Moderator
MASS graves, round-the-clock cremations and express funerals could all be used if a deadly flu pandemic sweeps across Wales, we can reveal today.
A report by the Assembly Government estimates that in a worst-case scenario the Welsh death toll could be close to 40,000. One politician last night said the document was not made public a year ago for fear of causing panic during the swine flu outbreak.
Details of the Wales Mass Fatalities Plan (Emerging Incidents) have been disclosed for the first time following a Freedom of Information request by the Western Mail.
It comes just days after the swine flu pandemic, which sparked widespread panic last year, was declared over by the World Health Organisation (WHO).
Cardiff Festival 2010
The plan was drawn up last year by the Wales Resilience Forum, which exists to prepare the nation for disasters, just weeks before the first swine flu cases were reported in Mexico.
It sets out how the Assembly Government, working with the health service, local authorities and the emergency services would respond to a pandemic.
As was demonstrated by last year?s scare, it is impossible to predict the impact a pandemic could have. In Wales, there were 665 laboratory-confirmed cases of swine flu and 28 deaths.
Nevertheless, the previously unreleased report estimates that a future pandemic could claim up to 37,074 victims out of a Welsh population of 2.9 million, based on half the nation becoming infected, and a 2.5% fatality rate.
....
http://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/w...n-the-event-of-a-flu-pandemic-91466-27069389/
A report by the Assembly Government estimates that in a worst-case scenario the Welsh death toll could be close to 40,000. One politician last night said the document was not made public a year ago for fear of causing panic during the swine flu outbreak.
Details of the Wales Mass Fatalities Plan (Emerging Incidents) have been disclosed for the first time following a Freedom of Information request by the Western Mail.
It comes just days after the swine flu pandemic, which sparked widespread panic last year, was declared over by the World Health Organisation (WHO).
Cardiff Festival 2010
The plan was drawn up last year by the Wales Resilience Forum, which exists to prepare the nation for disasters, just weeks before the first swine flu cases were reported in Mexico.
It sets out how the Assembly Government, working with the health service, local authorities and the emergency services would respond to a pandemic.
As was demonstrated by last year?s scare, it is impossible to predict the impact a pandemic could have. In Wales, there were 665 laboratory-confirmed cases of swine flu and 28 deaths.
Nevertheless, the previously unreleased report estimates that a future pandemic could claim up to 37,074 victims out of a Welsh population of 2.9 million, based on half the nation becoming infected, and a 2.5% fatality rate.
....
http://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/w...n-the-event-of-a-flu-pandemic-91466-27069389/