Cardinia ready for swine flu

By Melissa Grant
CARDINIA Shire mayor Bill Pearson has reassured residents that the council is swine flu ready as the number of confirmed cases hits 16 in neighbouring Casey.
Cr Pearson said the council was working with the Department of Human Services and health agencies to stay up to date with the latest information and advice.
Although there is still only one confirmed swine flu case in the Cardinia Shire, Cr Pearson said the council was ready to implement local actions for prevention, containment and care if necessary.
“Council has established its pandemic planning committee which is monitoring the situation closely and has systems in place to support the community in the event of an outbreak,” he said. “We are also undertaking planning to ensure business continuity – including provision of key council services and appropriate support for people if they are confined to their homes or quarantined.”
Cardinia Shire Council officers are receiving daily updates from the Department of Human Services (DHS) regarding the status of the virus. The sole swine flu case in Cardinia was confirmed on 5 June. A DHS spokesman was unable to identify which town the sufferer lived in.
The DHS recently confirmed that there were 16 cases of the virus in Casey and another 22 in the City of Greater Dandenong.
Dandenong councillor Peter Brown was one of those to be diagnosed with the H1N1 virus. Cr Brown said he experienced a very rapid onset of symptoms last fortnight.
In Casey, Rivergum Ward councillor Lynette Keleher was in quarantine after a family member was exposed to the influenza virus.
Cr Pearson said Cardinia Shire Council’s immediate focus was to promote good health hygiene practices, widely acknowledged as one of the most effective measures to prevent against contraction of swine flu. There are 1230 confirmed swine flu cases in Victoria. A DHS spokesman said the majority of cases were in the northern and western suburbs. For general health advice, call Nurse-on-Call on 1300 606 024 or the Swine Influenza Hotline 180 2007.
For further information visit www.cardinia.vic.gov.au website.