The Australian wrote:Qantas asked to bring Aussies home if bird flu strikes
Adam Cresswell and Katharine Murphy, October 27, 2005
AUSTRALIANS stranded in countries affected by bird flu will be flown home on specially commissioned Qantas flights if a global pandemic breaks out, under a deal being negotiated by the Howard Government.
Amid rising international concern at the possibility bird flu might jump to humans, Health Minister Tony Abbott yesterday provided new details of Australia's plan to tackle an outbreak.
The strategy includes state and territory governments providing mobile assessment teams to treat patients in their homes to limit the risk of the disease spreading.
Addressing an international meeting in Canada of health ministers and officials from 30 countries, Mr Abbott revealed that 90 per cent of Australia's stockpile of the antiviral drug Tamiflu would be issued to key workers to protect them from disease, with only 10 per cent used to treat those already infected.
He told the Ottawa conference that if a pandemic occurred, flights were likely to be disrupted because pilots of all incoming aircraft would have to declare whether any of their passengers had flu-like symptoms.
"The Government is liaising with Qantas about possible arrangements for repatriating Australians who wish to return home in the event of a pandemic," he said.
"But this could be extremely complicated, given possible disruption to flights. Issues the Government would have to consider are whether to close borders and the adequacy and possible enforcement of home or hotel quarantine for people with exposure to disease."
He said the states and territories were considering "how best to triage potential flu cases, how best to treat people in their homes, and how to staff and deploy mobile triage and treatment teams".
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Originalbeitrag zu finden unter: http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,5744,17049189%255E601,00.html