Sally Furniss
Well-known member
If you're sick stay away from Fieldays
By BELINDA FEEK - Waikato Times
Last updated 13:00 09/06/2009
Concern about swine flu spreading at Fieldays has prompted a raft of health measures to be put in place.
There will be strict hygiene around portable toilets, extra medical staff on site and a pharmacy dispensing Tamiflu if needed.
Health authorities are worried the outdoor event, which starts tomorrow, may become a breeding ground for the virus should anyone arrive with the infection.
Barry Quayle, general manager of Mystery Creek Events Centre, said the swine flu scare was being taken seriously.
He said they had done away with heated hand drying facilities and made paper towels compulsory in each of its port-a-loos. "We have a resident doctor on site and all the St John people on site they will have quite a large team. Being New Zealand's largest event it's very important that we are to be hands-on with this type of approach."
The Fieldays was also the only event in the country to boast a fully-fledged pharmacy Pharmacy 547 based in the service building on the Village Green.
More than 120,000 people are expected at the four-day event. The Fieldays moves come as the Government last night broadened the powers of medical officers of health, who can now quarantine anyone who they suspect has been in close contact with someone who has swine flu. Previously they could only quarantine people who were unwell, not on the suspicion of being unwell.
Waikato DHB swine flu incident controller Barb Garbutt said because of the large numbers of people expected at Fieldays she was urging people who felt unwell "to stay at home".
"There's no concerns about the port-a-loos, we have been assured that there's hand towels available. Our understanding is that there's good sanitising facilities ... with any mass gathering we've got to get the message out there to stop the spread of flu germs."
Simple steps included covering your mouth and washing hands after sneezing. "Wash and dry your hands off thoroughly using soap and water. It's not about always having alcohol-based solutions on hand. Our best advice for people contemplating attending Fieldays if you're sick, stay at home."
http://www.stuff.co.nz/world/swine-flu/2485370/If-you-re-sick-stay-away-from-Fieldays
By BELINDA FEEK - Waikato Times
Last updated 13:00 09/06/2009
Concern about swine flu spreading at Fieldays has prompted a raft of health measures to be put in place.
There will be strict hygiene around portable toilets, extra medical staff on site and a pharmacy dispensing Tamiflu if needed.
Health authorities are worried the outdoor event, which starts tomorrow, may become a breeding ground for the virus should anyone arrive with the infection.
Barry Quayle, general manager of Mystery Creek Events Centre, said the swine flu scare was being taken seriously.
He said they had done away with heated hand drying facilities and made paper towels compulsory in each of its port-a-loos. "We have a resident doctor on site and all the St John people on site they will have quite a large team. Being New Zealand's largest event it's very important that we are to be hands-on with this type of approach."
The Fieldays was also the only event in the country to boast a fully-fledged pharmacy Pharmacy 547 based in the service building on the Village Green.
More than 120,000 people are expected at the four-day event. The Fieldays moves come as the Government last night broadened the powers of medical officers of health, who can now quarantine anyone who they suspect has been in close contact with someone who has swine flu. Previously they could only quarantine people who were unwell, not on the suspicion of being unwell.
Waikato DHB swine flu incident controller Barb Garbutt said because of the large numbers of people expected at Fieldays she was urging people who felt unwell "to stay at home".
"There's no concerns about the port-a-loos, we have been assured that there's hand towels available. Our understanding is that there's good sanitising facilities ... with any mass gathering we've got to get the message out there to stop the spread of flu germs."
Simple steps included covering your mouth and washing hands after sneezing. "Wash and dry your hands off thoroughly using soap and water. It's not about always having alcohol-based solutions on hand. Our best advice for people contemplating attending Fieldays if you're sick, stay at home."
http://www.stuff.co.nz/world/swine-flu/2485370/If-you-re-sick-stay-away-from-Fieldays