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Hokitika Guardian, 20 October 1920, Page 1

RESULT OF ENQUIRY. • WELLINGTON, Oct. 19. The Board of Health recently inquired at the instance of the Minister r 9 the berthing of tbe tteamer Mahano at Wellington after there had been an outbreak of scarlet fever among the immigrants on board. The Board state they conclude that the Health Department took all reasonable precautions. A request was made for the Board’s opinion generally upon the present system of quarantine in ports and on the precautions taken by the Department against the introduction of disease by ships from overseas. The reply was as follows: “The Board understands that the following procedures &re available, and have been used by the Health Department in the case of vessels arriving in New Zealand waters carrying cases of infectious diseases : (1) In the case of minor infectious diseases, patients have been sent I into an isolation hospital already provided for such cases occurring amongst the shore population ; (2) Dangerous | cases of infectious diseases, not epidemic in the country, liave been isolated in quarantine stations along with contacts ; (3) A system of requiring contacts who have been released to report to officers of the Health Department and to private practioners has been utilised. The Board considers these procedures satisfactory and'is of opinion that the ' Department should continue to adopt them in future, as in the discretion of the medical officers of the Department they may he applicable.”