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House of Assembly - Fifty-First Parliament, Third Session (51-3)
2009-06-03 Daily Xml
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Ministerial Statement

SWINE FLU

The Hon. J.D. HILL (Kaurna—Minister for Health, Minister for the Southern Suburbs, Minister Assisting the Premier in the Arts) (14:02): I seek leave to make a ministerial statement.

Leave granted.

The Hon. J.D. HILL: Today I inform the house that Victoria has moved to the 'sustain' stage of its pandemic influenza plan. This next stage acknowledges that swine flu has arrived in Australia and provides a framework for sustaining our communities while we await a vaccination. Therefore, we are providing new advice today to people who plan to travel to areas where there is a high prevalence of the virus, including to Victoria. From today, in addition to our recommendation that children returning from the USA, Canada, Mexico, Japan and Panama remain at home for seven days, we are also recommending that schoolchildren and children in child care and kindergarten who return from Melbourne should stay at home in isolation for seven days.

In doing this, we are following the recommendations of the commonwealth's chief medical officer that this voluntary exclusion should apply from today for children returning from areas where there is a high prevalence of the virus. Currently in Australia, this only applies to Melbourne, in addition to the overseas locations, of course. We are also recommending that any school sporting and other trips to Melbourne should be postponed for the time being. All these measures are aimed at stopping the spread of human swine flu to our vulnerable populations during the time when we do not have a vaccine.

This advice does not apply to any other Australia destinations at this stage, but that may well change in coming days and weeks. We appreciate the effort that this will mean for some South Australian families, but as we try to limit the spread of swine flu in our state, we are asking people to make decisions in the interests of the whole community.

In addition, I can confirm for the house an eighth case of human swine influenza has been confirmed in South Australia. The person involved is not a resident of this state. However, they will remain in home isolation in South Australia for seven days. In addition, one person is undergoing testing for swine flu in South Australia.

Members of the public who would like more information should contact the swine flu hotline on 180 2007 or visit www.flu.sa.gov.au.

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