RE-OPENING OF THE SCHOOLS

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Issue 83, 24 April 1937, Page 5

RE-OPENING OF THE SCHOOLS

Restrictions in Force Until Monday EPIDEMIC ARATING ; School's in Hastings definitely reopen next Monday, there having been indications that the infantile paralysis : epxd'emic ih this part of the province has abated. The announcement of the reopening was mad© by the Department of Health, Wellington, yesterday afternoon, and it should be noted that the restrictions placed on children under 16 years of age attendingi theatres and public gatherings will continue ia force until Monday morning. This would indicate that the department5 is taking fche precautionary measure of avoiding any possible recurrenee of the epidemic through Anzae Day gatherings. It is now six weeks, since the schools were closed affcer having been open only two weeks after the summer holidays. It will be recalled that on aocount of the epidemic the opening of fche schools throughout the province was delayed until March 1, and that the school year had been in, progress only two weeks when they were closed down in Hastings on Monday afternoon, March 15. Later the Napier schools were closed, but they reopened at the beginning of last week, in company with all the schools in the surrounding districts of Hastings, a furfcher series of outbreaks in the borough precluding Hastings schools reopening at the same time. There have been actually II cases of infantile paralysis xecorded in Hastings itself and the surrounding districts provided. three additional cases. Though the department has 'decided to allow the schools in Hastings to reopen, the closure applied recently to Putorino and the East Coast gronp of schools will continue in force. until further notice.