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http://www.news.com.au/adelaidenow/story/0,27574,25620946-2682,00.html
Classes cut as swine flu spreads
Article from: The Advertiser
TORY SHEPHERD
June 12, 2009 07:39pm
SWINE flu has forced students at three Adelaide schools into quarantine, as the state's swine flu tally reached 43.
Year 10 classes at Thomas More College and Westminster School and Year 8 classes at Salisbury High School, were cancelled after a student in each year was found to have the virus.
South Australia is now "transitioning" to the next swine flu alert stage, as more people are infected and hospitalised with the virus. Three people are in hospital with swine flu, one of them in a serious condition.
At Salisbury High School, about 60 students are in home isolation after a Year 8 boy was diagnosed with the virus. At Westminster School, 60 male boarders have been given antivirals and Thomas More College has asked all Year 10 students to stay home.
The World Health Organisation has declared swine flu to be a global pandemic, the first in 40 years, but Australia has not yet increased its alert level from "sustain", although Victoria has increased its alert level to "control".
Health Minister John Hill said the "acceleration" in the number of SA cases meant the state was "in transition" to the next stage, in which the focus was more on protecting the vulnerable.
"We're still holding on to the containment approach, but we're certainly transitioning to the next stage, which is the stage that Victoria's in," he said. "And I would expect over the next two or three days . . . we would almost certainly be at that stage."
Mr Hill said authorities had not been advised to cancel large events such as football matches and added there was "no way" to stop the spread of the disease into SA.
"The disease is now spreading in our community, (and we need to) really start focusing on those who are most at risk - people with compromised immune systems, the elderly and the very young," he said.
As part of the changing approach, schools will no longer be closed if a student has swine flu, with authorities instead "targeting" specific classes.
SA Health chief medical officer Professor Paddy Phillips said: "We have to balance what we think will be the most effective mechanism to control the spread with the least amount of disruption."
Professor Phillips said as the alert levels were increased, there would be more changes to the way authorities handled the pandemic, but when asked for specifics, he said: "I wish I knew. The changes will be made from a national perspective."
Nationally, the tally has passed 1300 and authorities say it is impossible to tell how many people have the disease but have not had it confirmed.
Further information: The National Pandemic Emergency Committee,
Classes cut as swine flu spreads
Article from: The Advertiser
TORY SHEPHERD
June 12, 2009 07:39pm
SWINE flu has forced students at three Adelaide schools into quarantine, as the state's swine flu tally reached 43.
Year 10 classes at Thomas More College and Westminster School and Year 8 classes at Salisbury High School, were cancelled after a student in each year was found to have the virus.
South Australia is now "transitioning" to the next swine flu alert stage, as more people are infected and hospitalised with the virus. Three people are in hospital with swine flu, one of them in a serious condition.
At Salisbury High School, about 60 students are in home isolation after a Year 8 boy was diagnosed with the virus. At Westminster School, 60 male boarders have been given antivirals and Thomas More College has asked all Year 10 students to stay home.
The World Health Organisation has declared swine flu to be a global pandemic, the first in 40 years, but Australia has not yet increased its alert level from "sustain", although Victoria has increased its alert level to "control".
Health Minister John Hill said the "acceleration" in the number of SA cases meant the state was "in transition" to the next stage, in which the focus was more on protecting the vulnerable.
"We're still holding on to the containment approach, but we're certainly transitioning to the next stage, which is the stage that Victoria's in," he said. "And I would expect over the next two or three days . . . we would almost certainly be at that stage."
Mr Hill said authorities had not been advised to cancel large events such as football matches and added there was "no way" to stop the spread of the disease into SA.
"The disease is now spreading in our community, (and we need to) really start focusing on those who are most at risk - people with compromised immune systems, the elderly and the very young," he said.
As part of the changing approach, schools will no longer be closed if a student has swine flu, with authorities instead "targeting" specific classes.
SA Health chief medical officer Professor Paddy Phillips said: "We have to balance what we think will be the most effective mechanism to control the spread with the least amount of disruption."
Professor Phillips said as the alert levels were increased, there would be more changes to the way authorities handled the pandemic, but when asked for specifics, he said: "I wish I knew. The changes will be made from a national perspective."
Nationally, the tally has passed 1300 and authorities say it is impossible to tell how many people have the disease but have not had it confirmed.
Further information: The National Pandemic Emergency Committee,