ISLAND PRECAUTIONS

Rotorua Morning Post, Volume 1, Issue 31, 29 September 1931, Page 3

ISLAND PRECAUTIONS

"EPIDEMIC AT AUCKLAND REPORTED VERY SERIOUS" STEAMER TOFUA'S EXPERIENCE AUCKLAND, Monday. On her arrival from Fiji, Tonga and Suva, the Island steamer Tofua reported that when the vessei arrival at Suva the Health authorities

placed the ship under partial quarantine, because it was believed that a severe form of infiuenza was raging in Auckland. The effect of the quarantine was to prohibit the officers and crew from going ashore. No restrictions were placed on the passengers. At Apia, neither passengers making the round trip nor members of the crew were allowed ashore. Passengers who were booked for that port were put in quarantine on shore for four days. As a result of the quarantine, the steamer remained at Apia for only 12 hours, instead of the customary 1* or 2 days. When the ship return ed to Suva after visiting Samoa and Tonga no restrictions were imposed, and as compensation for not being allowed ashore at Apia the passengers were given an extra day at Suva. "The semi-quarantine at Suva was a farce," declared a member of the crew. "Actually we had no cases of 'f lu on board ; the passengers who had been siek with colds on the run from Auckland were allowe'd, on shore^ while members of the crew who did not even have colds were kept on board. At Apia the officials were under the impression that the 'flu epidemic was very serious. We were told that they had heard there had been I a number of deaths in Auckland."