Swine Flu - What you can do to Prepare

Rodney District Council is encouraging people to think about what they can do to prepare for a Swine Flu outbreak, in case the flu spreads.
A few simple steps can help you to be prepared in the event of a flu outbreak or any other kind of emergency.
Paul Green, who oversees the Council’s Emergency Services Team says that if the flu spreads and people have to be quarantined in their homes for a number of days, they should have plans in place so they can stay warm and well fed.
“It’d be wise for people to make sure they have enough food to last at least a week – this is important not just for Swine Flu but will assist you to get through any kind of emergency.”
“People should also be thinking about how they can assist their family, friends and neighbours – and check up on whether they have enough food stored also.”
Mr Green says if people contract the flu then they will need to stay at home for at least seven days and they will need to consider how they can take care of themselves and anyone else who depends on them.
The Council has also been making preparations in light of the global situation. For the past month Council staff have been putting in place preparations to ensure the Council continues to provide essential services in the event of swine flu spreading and to provide welfare assistance to health authorities if required.
“We have been working on ensuring that essential services – such as the water supply and rubbish collections – will not be disrupted if staff are sick or need to look after sick family members.”
He says that public facilities, such as libraries or the Leisure Centre will remain open unless health authorities consider it necessary to close these to help prevent the spread of the flu virus.
Mr Green says that Council managers have been reviewing their business continuity plans and making sure these are up to date.
More information after the article on the RDC website "Swine Flu - What you can do to Prepare"