"VICTORIA should consider cancelling mass gatherings including AFL games to stem its swine flu outbreak, the World Health Organisation says. But Premier John Brumby says there is no need for such measures.
WHO western Pacific region spokesman Peter Cordingley said although it was not the agency's job to tell state and national governments what to do, Victoria should consider shutting down big events to prevent transmission of the H1N1 virus, which is now predicted to infect one in three people."
"Mr Brumby said the shift had not changed Victoria's response to the virus, which remained mild in most affected people.
"You wouldn't be going around closing down every school and every sporting venue and every weekend sporting event and every picture theatre. It would be completely out of proportion to the risk posed by what is a relatively mild seasonal flu," he said.
Federal Health Minister Nicola Roxon said there was no reason to change Australia's response and that public health experts had not advised the Government to close down mass gatherings."
the government's lackadaisical attitude puzzles me.
the more time i've spent here, the more i realise that Australians do live in a bubble.
in fact, Gordan Ramsay's remarks are more worthy of breaking news here in Melbourne than the swine flu pandemic.
seriously.
1 comment:
That's because it's not dangerous, at least at the moment. Better people get a mild version of the virus now (and therefore build up immunity) then get a really bad version later.
I think their attempts to reduce public panic are actually good, so that people don't freak out.
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