Police get powers to detain SARS suspects

POLICE will be able to force suspected carriers of severe acute respiratory syndrome into hospital against their will under emergency public health powers which come into effect today.

POLICE will be able to force suspected carriers of severe acute respiratory syndrome into hospital against their will under emergency public health powers which come into effect today.Although no confirmed cases have arisen in WA, Health Minister Bob Kucera said yesterday the move was justified to prevent any potential outbreak of the deadly disease in the State.The State Government has designated SARS a dangerous infectious disease under the Health Act – alongside other killers such as ebola, plague and cholera.This empowers authorities to, among other things, order suspected carriers to undergo medical tests and force them into quarantine indefinitely.”It is highly unlikely that the Government would need to use these powers,” Mr Kucera said. “However, we felt it important to have them in place, given the serious threat this disease poses to public health.”He also announced the Shenton Park annexe of Royal Perth Hospital would become WA’s specialist SARS treatment centre under contingency plans to deal with any epidemic.But invoking the plan would necessitate the cancellation of all elective surgery at the hospital, which handles about half the orthopaedic procedures in WA’s public health system.Each of the 20 suspected SARS cases which have been investigated in WA has turned out to be a false alarm. In the latest incident, a 57-year-old woman who was being monitored at Fremantle Hospital for symptoms of the disease was released from isolation this week.She is being treated for underlying medical conditions.Federal health authorities have officially notified the World Health Organisation of four probable SARS cases in Australia: three Canadian children on holiday in Victoria and a 45-year Queensland woman who had visited southern China. All have recovered. In comparison, Hong Kong has recorded 105 deaths from more than 1400 SARS cases and Canada has recorded 15 deaths from 300 cases.WA Police Union president Mike Dean said yesterday that officers who had to force unwilling patients into hospital should be issued with chemical suits.He had been told these would protect them from infection.But he said it was unlikely the new powers would have to be exercised.Australian Medical Association State president Bernard Pearn-Rowe welcomed the move as a sensible precaution against the spread of the disease.”The powers are severe but appropriate in light of the potential of SARS to threaten our community,” Dr Pearn-Rowe said.The epidemic claimed its first big Australian sporting event, with the cancellation of next month’s eight-day Arafura Games in Darwin.The biennial event attracts thousands of athletes from more than 25 countries.The Federal Government has invoked quarantine laws to force pilots to tell quarantine staff of any passengers with flu-like symptoms before getting clearance to land.Call for tourism aid in epidemic THE Australian Hotels Association called on the State Government yesterday to provide up to $5 million to stem losses by WA tourism operators through the SARS crisis.AHA executive director Bradley Woods said the latest hotel occupancy survey showed Chinese, Indonesian, Japanese, Malaysian and Singaporean visitors to WA had dropped by 10,100 in the first three months of 2003 compared with the corresponding time last year, a 25 per cent drop.A further 7000 hotel room nights had been cancelled since the start of April by tourists unable to travel because of SARS, he said.Calculations made using the average spending of international visitors showed the WA tourism industry had missed out on $18.4 million in the first three months, with another $14 million from the 7000 cancelled room nights.”What we are seeing now are significant impacts from the SARS virus,” Mr Woods said.Mr Woods called for extra funding in the forthcoming State Budget to help promote WA.Tourism Minister Clive Brown said there was no doubt that SARS had affected tourism operators with international clients but it was premature to consider funding before examining what the money would be used for.”In some instances it might be advertising and in others it might be getting more airline seats,” he said.The Superstar Virgo, which arrives in Fremantle today for five weeks, could stay longer, according to industry sources.It is expected that Star Cruises will announce an extension of the cruise program next week.- Minh Lam and Geoffrey Thomas (Source: The West Australian, Mark Mallabone, 24/04/2003)