NO FURTHER INCREASE

Otago Daily Times, Issue 26640, 10 December 1947, Page 4

NO FURTHER INCREASE

POSITIVE CASES IN AUCKLAND AREA TWO PATIENTS RECOVER p.A. AUCKLAND, Dec. 9. No increase in the number of positive cases of infantile paralysis in the Central Auckland health district was reported to-day. The number of positive cases remained at 32 to-night, and suspects had been reduced to 12, including three who were admitted during the day. Two former suspects found to be negative cases were discharged. Two patients, both of whom were proved to be positive cases, have now been discharged from the Auckland Hospital since the present outbreak began. A boy was sufficiently recovered to be allowed to go home at the week-end, and one of the adult patients who had made a good re-

covery was able to leave to-day. Hundreds of parents, either refusing to believe the published rules of conduct during the epidemic or insisting that their cases constitute exceptions, continue to besiege the Health Department with telephone calls. Causing the most concern is the ban on motor camps and the advice that children should not be taken to hotels or boarding houses. The medical officer of health at Auckland, Dr L. S. Davis, said to-day that there was no objection to families spending the holidays at seaside baches, provided they kept to themselves. In spite of repeated advice by the Health Department that children under 16 should not be brought into contact with each other in public, a number of Auckland stores and factories are reported to be employing school children as casual workers during the holidays. Dr Davis said that, although there was no legal ban against employing these children, he was most dissatisfied with the position. The engagement of children by employers and the apparent indifference of parents to their responsibilities are endangering the health of the children by exposing them to the possibility of infection.