NSW powers to force swine flu quarantine

[FrenchieGirl]

NSW powers to force swine flu quarantine

30 May 2009 | 04:32:42 PM | Source: AAP

The NSW chief health officer has been given stronger powers to ensure people suspected of having swine flu remain in isolation, as the state's infection rate continues to rise.

Under the extra powers granted by the NSW government, Dr Kerry Chant can order anyone who has been in contact with a suspected case and has ignored advice to voluntarily quarantine themselves to stay isolated for up to 14 days.

She can also stop children who have been in contact with a suspected case from going to school.

NSW police can assist in compliance on request from Dr Chant. Dr Chant said the powers were an emergency measure and she did not expect to use them because most people were heeding advice given by health authorities.

"These are measures that I think the general community would be very supportive of ... the vast majority of the community have been adhering to our messages.

This is just to ensure we have the powers," Dr Chant told reporters in Sydney on Saturday.

NSW Health Minister John Della Bosca said swine flu clinics were also being set up in major public hospitals across the state to assist in managing the virus.

Royal North Shore, Sydney and St George hospitals were among those who had already set up flu clinics, while some regional hospitals were on stand-by.

The clinics will allow for rapid assessment and treatment of suspected swine flu cases and minimise the risk of infecting other patients and hospital staff, Mr Della Bosca said.

"It's important also to note that that will mean that our emergency departments in public hospitals will be able to continue their important work ... with minimal disruption," he said.

Mr Della Bosca also said 25 NSW nurses had joined the cruise ship Pacific Dawn when it docked in Brisbane to assess and screen passengers before they arrive in Sydney on Monday.

As of Saturday morning, there was no local transmission of swine flu in NSW.

There were 54 people in NSW who had tested positive for swine flu, out of whom 43 had been on the cruise ship Pacific Dawn when it docked in Sydney last Monday and 11 had picked up the virus on overseas travel.

 

[FrenchieGirl]

Re: NSW powers to force swine flu quarantine

NSW powers to force swine flu quarantine

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Under the extra powers granted by the NSW government, Dr Kerry Chant can order anyone who has been in contact with a suspected case and has ignored advice to voluntarily quarantine themselves to stay isolated for up to 14 days.

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NSW police can assist in compliance on request from Dr Chant. Dr Chant said the powers were an emergency measure and she did not expect to use them because most people were heeding advice given by health authorities.

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This is just to ensure we have the powers," Dr Chant told reporters in Sydney on Saturday.

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Swine flu lockdown plan as PM tested

By Sharon Labi
May 31, 2009 12:00am

THE State's top doctor has been given sweeping new powers to force reluctant swine flu victims into quarantine and shut schools as Prime Minister Kevin Rudd underwent testing for the disease.

Health Minister John Della Bosca said yesterday he had strengthened NSW Chief Health Officer Kerry Chant's powers for 28 days as the number of confirmed cases in NSW rose by six to 54 and the national tally passed 250.

Mr Della Bosca's announcement came as Prime Minister was tested for swine flu on his return from Singapore yesterday after complaining of a sore throat.

Mr Rudd and his entourage were kept on the plane for about 20 minutes while they waited for a health official to test the Prime Minister.

Mr Rudd is understood to have complained of a sore throat following his 24-hour trip to Singapore for the Shangri-La Dialogue, an Asia-Pacific defence and security gathering.

A spokesman confirmed Mr Rudd's tests returned negative.

"The results of that test ... showed that the Prime Minister had neither H1N1 influenza nor any other influenza virus,'' he said.

Meanwhile, former premier Morris Iemma was hospitalised on Tuesday with an unknown condition.

A South East Illawarra Area Health Service spokeswoman said Mr Iemma was doing well, but would not release details of his condition.

Dr Chant said she would not hesitate to use her new powers if there was a threat to public safety.

"They are there as a precaution and should I need to use them I will have no hesitation in doing so to protect the public," she said.

Under the enhanced powers, Dr Chant will be able to force people into home isolation or quarantine, shut schools and keep students who've recently travelled to at-risk countries away from the classroom.

NSW Police will help enforce Dr Chant's orders.

She said a small number of people may initially be reluctant about spending a week in isolation and forced measures were a last resort.

But she refused to say what penalties would be imposed or what action taken if people breached the orders.

"Our response will be measured in accordance to that risk," she said.

Under previous health orders, patients who knowingly exposed others to tuberculosis have been forcibly hospitalised.

The number of swine flu cases nationally rose to 251 yesterday.

Victoria remains the epicentre with 173 cases, and doctors called for an urgent release of masks, gowns, gloves and antiviral medication from the national stockpile.

Victorian Health Minister Daniel Andrews said the virus had spread outside Melbourne for the first time, 26 of the new cases were in people aged between five and 18, 3000 people were in quarantine and seven schools remain closed.

Despite the growing numbers, Australia's Chief Medical Officer Jim Bishop said the virus was turning out to be mild in Australia.

"We'll see this flu becoming more of a dominant flu and what we'll see is it will start to increase in numbers rather like the seasonal flu," Professor Bishop said.

"And like the seasonal flu, everyone knows how to deal with the flu. It's turning out to be, in Australian hands, quite a mild disease."

In NSW, nine swine flu clinics have been set up at public hospitals and another 11 are on standby as part of the State Government's pandemic planning.

People who experience flu-like symptoms should still contact their GP, but anyone who has recently travelled by sea or air should use the clinics.

Of the six new cases identified in NSW, one was a traveller who arrived from India which is not considered an affected country.

"They came in through India and I think that just reflects that the widespread nature of the disease, particularly overseas, means that we are going to see increasing new reports of travellers returning with human swine influenza," Dr Chant said.

Authorities believe the biggest risk remains from travellers, including those from cruise ships.

No NSW schools have been shut to date. As of Friday, 176 students and 32 staff were absent from public schools as a result of flu-like symptoms or contact with a swine flu case.

The State Government said priority would be given to surveillance of cruise ships and schools because they were hothouses for transmission of the virus.

Development of a swine flu vaccine is being rushed through laboratories but clinical trials are yet to begin and winter could be over before the jabs are rolled out.

CSL in Melbourne, which has received bulk orders from the Australian and US governments, said trials to test dosage levels would commence in July and involve fewer than 200 adults.

"There's a small chance that as a result of the clinical trials process you might want to give two doses just to ensure that people get immunity," CSL spokeswoman Dr Rachel David said.

If that turns out to be the case, the 10 million doses the federal Government has spoken of may only vaccinate five million people.

Mr Della Bosca said until a vaccine is available, the most cost-effective way to handle the threat was to contain the virus and limit its spread as much as possible.

He said the full cost of the swine flu threat would be disclosed in the budget process.

"It's impossible to put a dollar figure on it," he said.

Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry acting chief executive Greg Evans said businesses were developing plans in case of an outbreak.

"We've been letting business know they should have some plans in place to deal with the possible spread of the disease," he said.

 

[FrenchieGirl]

Re: NSW powers to force swine flu quarantine

[Comment: Note from above article that TPTB may also be a target of this new influenza...]

 

[tropical]

Re: NSW powers to force swine flu quarantine

Well done finaly.

This is not a game. Better more earlier powers when something could be done yet, than at the end when all is fixed.