Public Health (Infectious and Notifiable Diseases) Regulations (ACT)
PUBLIC HEALTH (INFECTIOUS DISEASES)
| shorttiuo. | REGULATIONS. |
1. These Regulations may be cited as the Public Health (Infectious
| R | Diseases) | llegulatious. |
2. The Public Health (Infectious Diseases) llegulatious made on
the 30th day of November, 1929, under the Public Health Ordinance 1 9 2 8> a l ' e
| Definitions. | hereby | repealed. |
3. In these llegulatious, unless the contrary intention appears— " C o n t a c t " means any person deemed to be a contact within
the meaning of regulation 8 of these Regulations;
" House " includes any place of public worship, hospital, school, factory, work-room, hotel, public house, shop, dairy premises, shearing shed, wool shed, tent, van, and any other building or structure (whether temporary or permanent) or part thereof in which persons dwell, congregate oT are employed; " Infectious Disease " means—
Typhoid fever (which shall include para-typhoid fever).
Bacillary dysentery,
Infective gastro-enteritis,
Asiatic cholera,Amoebic dysentery,
Measles (morbilli) , Rubella (Rotheln, German measles),
Whooping cough,
Scarlet fever,
Diphtheria,
Epidemic cerebro-spinal meningitis,
Acute anterior rjoliomyelitis and polioencephalitis,
Small-pox,
Lethargic encephalitis,Tuberculosis (which shall include all forms of tuber-
culosis),
Leprosy,
Plague,
see Public Health (Daliy) Keguiations. Typhus fever (all forms),
Relapsing fever,
Malaria,
Filariasis,
Yellow fever,
Bilharziasis,
Ankylostomiasis,Hydatid disease (Echinococcus granulosis cystic stage),
NOT».—For regulations relating to Infectious diseases in connection with dairies and Milk supply
Contagious ophthalmia (including trachoma),
Anthrax,
Scabies,
Puerperal fever,and includes the condition in which the organism presumed to cause any of those diseases is found to be present in any person, and any disease or infective condition to which these Regulations for the time being apply in accordance with any notification wliich the Director-Oeneral may, from time to time, publish in the Gazette;
" M i n i s t e r " means for the Minister of State for Hea l th ; " Occupier " means the person having the charge, management or control of a house, and in the case of a house which is let out in separate tenements, or in the case of a lodging- house which is let to lodgers, the person receiving the rent payable by the tenants or lodgers, either on his own account or as the agent of another person, and includes any person in occupation of the surface of any land belonging to the Commonwealth, notwithstanding any want or defect of title to occupy the l and ;
" Owner " means the owner whether jointly or severally of any house, or the authorized agent, manager or superintendent of the owner, and, in the case of mortgaged premises, both the mortgagor and the mortgagee, and includes a lessee; and
" S c h o o l " includes any kindergarten, primary, secondary, technical, private or Sunday school.
4.— (1.) Whenever, in any house, any person is found to be suffering Notification of •
from an infectious disease, or from any sickness the symptoms of Infectious
which raise a reasonable suspicion that it may be an infectious disease,
any medical practitioner who examines the person shall, upon the day
on which he becomes aware or suspects that the person is suffering
from an infectious disease, give notice thereof to the occupier, and also
to the Medical Officer of Health, and, in the event of the death
of any such person, forthwith notify the Medical Officer of Health of
the death.
(2.) The notice required by the last preceding sub-regulation to be given by a medical practitioner to the Medical Officer of Health shall he in writing, and in accordance with the form in the First Schedule to these Regulations.
(3.) A medical practitioner shall not incur any liability by reason of any mis-statement made in good faith in a notification of any infectious disease, provided that, where he makes a change in his diagnosis, he promptly notifies that change to the Medical Officer of Health.
(4.) The Director-General shall paj', or cause to be paid, to each medical practitioner a sum of two shillings and sixpence for every case notified by him in accordance with this regulation.
(5.) When the head teacher of any school becomes aware or suspects
that any child enrolled at the school, or any member of the staff
| of the school, is suffering from an infectious disease, and is attending the school, he shall forthwith notify the Medical Officer of Health | accordingly, |
5. The Medical Officer of Health, or any authorized medical Power of entry,
practitioner, whenever he has reasonable cause to suspect that any person who is an inmate of a house is suffering from any infectious disease, may at all reasonable times enter the house and examine any inmate thereof, or any person found therein at the time of the visit, and ask questions of such inmate or person, for the purpose of ascer- taining whether that inmate or person is suffering from an infectious disease, and the inmate or person shall submit to such examination and shall answer truthfully any question put to him for that purpose by the Medical Officer of Health or medical practitioner.
6.—(1.) Any person found to be suffering from an infectious Orders of
.. i , v r i i Medical Officer
disease, and any parent or guar.dian ot any such person, and any person of Health, &e.
in attendance on or having the care of any such person, shall comply
with any orders given, in writing, by the Medical Officer of Health, or
by the medical practitioner in attendance.
(2.) Where an order given by the medical practitioner in attendance is inconsistent with an order given by the Medical Officer of Health, the order of the latter shall prevail and it shall not be an offence for any person to fail to comply with that order of the medical practitioner.
| Removal of | 7. The Medical Officer of Health, or any authorized person, may | |
| person | ||
| suffering from | remove, to a suitable hospital or place of isolation, any person suffering | |
| infectious | ||
| disease. | from an infectious disease, and there detain him until the Medical Officer of Health, or any authorized medical practitioner, certifies in writing that that person is free from infection or can be -discharged without danger to the public health. | |
| Removal of | 8., Any person who, in the opinion of the Medical Officer of Health, has been in such contact with 'a case of infectious disease as to be liable to transmit the disease to others shall, for the purposes of these Regulations, he deemed to be a contact, and shall observe such restrictions as are imposed, or such orders as are given by the Medical Officer of Health, and the Medical Officer of Health, or any authorized person, may remove that person to a place of isolation, and that person, if so removed, shall remain in that place for such period as the Medical Officer of Health directs. | |
| contact. | ||
| power of | ||
| Kxcrcisc of | 9: For the purpose of exercising the power of removal conferred by either of the last two preceding regulations, the Medical Officer of Health, or any authorized person may, with such assistants as are necessary, enter any house at any reasonable time. | |
| removal. | ||
| Recovery of | 10. The expenses or any portion of the expenses incurred by the or place of isolation of a person suffering from an infectious disease or of a contact may be recovered in any Court of competent jurisdiction by the Director-General from that person, or from his estate in the case of death, or in the case of an infant, from either parent or the guardian of such infant. | |
| expenses | ||
| incurred by | Director-General in the removal to and detention in a suitable hospital | |
| Commission. | ||
| 11.—(1.) Where the Medical Officer of Health is satisfied that the conditions permit of efficient isolation of any person suffering from an infectious disease, he may authorize the treatment of such person in his own home. | ||
| (2.) The parents of such person, or any person having the care, management or ordering of the house shall observe every instruction given in writing by the Medical Officer of Health. | ||
| Dudes of | 12.—(1.) The owner, occupier, or any person having the care and management or ordering of any house, shall comply with all orders, instructions or directions notified to him, in writing, by the Medical Officer of Health regarding the cleansing, purifying, ventilating and disinfecting of the house, and of the drainage and sanitary appliances belonging thereto. | |
| owner of liousc. | ||
| (2) If the owner, occupier, or other person fails to comply with these orders or directions within the time limited by the notice, the Medical Officer of Health or any authorized person may, with such assistants as are necessary, enter the house and carry out the orders or directions, and the Director-General may recover in any Court of competent jurisdiction the expense of so doing from the party in default, without prejudice to any further or other liability of the owner, occupier or other person under these Regulations. | ||
| ||
| assistants as are necessary, cleanse and disinfect any premises. | ||
| Person infected | 13. Any person knowing himself to be suffering from any infectious disease or to be a contact shall not wilfully go into any house or place to which the public have resort, or any public vehicle, without taking proper precautions against spreading the infection. | |
| not to appear | ||
| In public. |
Person in 14. A person who is iii charge of any person, who is suffering fnfcereci person, from nu infectious disease or is a contact, shall not take that person
to any house or place to which the public have resort, or into any public vehicle without the expressed approval of the Medical Officer of Health, and taking such precautions against spreading the infection as the Medical Officer of Health orders, or allow or wilfully suffer
. him to do anything in breach of the last preceding regulation.
| infected | 15.— (1.) Whenever a notification required by regulation four of these Regulations is given to the occupier of any house to the effect that a child is suffering from an infectious disease, a person shall not send such child to school and such child shall not attend school within the period of exclusion prescribed in the Second Schedule to these Regulations. |
| attend school. |
children not to
(•2.) Whenever the Medical Officer of Health or any authorized person notifies the occupier of any liou.se that a child is a contact within the meaning of regulation 8 of these Regulations, a person shall not send such child to school and such child shall not attend school within the period of exclusion prescribed in the Second Schedule to these Regulations.
| learning that a child enrolled at that school is infected with an in fec- s c l 0 0 ' | 16.—(1.) The head teacher or person in charge of a school on Exclusion from |
tious disease mentioned iu the Second Schedule to these Regulations, shall, in accordance with the requirements of that Schedule, prevent such child from attending school.
(2.) The head teacher or person in charge of a scliool on learning that a child enrolled at that school i.s a contact, when such contact is with a disease mentioned in the Second Schedule to these Regulations, shall, to the extent required by that Schedule, prevent such child from attending school.
| for the purj:>ose of preserving the public health that any school should.80100*' | 17.—(1.) If in the opinion of the Director-General it is desirable closing of |
be closed, the Director-General may, by notice in the Gazette, and by notice served on the proprietor or principal teacher of the school, declare that such school shall he closed.
(2.) Where a notice in pursuance of the last preceding sub-regula- tion is served upon the proprietor or principal teacher of the school, he shall cause the school to be closed, and to be kept closed until the Director-General notifies in the Gazette that the school may be opened without prejudice to the public health.
18. The parents or other person in charge of any person who is Duties of
suffering from an infectious disease, who under these Regulations have J,",™ ;̂ &c- 'OI been required to prevent such person attending school, and the parents excluded from or other person in charge of any child of, or under school age, who '
i.s a contact with that person, shall not, during the period of exclusion from school, suffer or permit any such person or contact to attend any cinematograph hall, or other place of amusement, church, or public gathering, whether admission is gained thereto by payment or otherwise.
| have been exposed to infection shall, when required so to do by notice «r "rtk'fcs. | 19. The owner of any bedding, clothing or other articles which Disinfection |
in writing by the Medical Officer of Health, deliver up such bedding, clothing or articles to the person named in the notice for the purpose of destruction or disinfection.
| or believed by him to be suffering from an infectious disease or to be a v«hic|e»- | 20. The person in charge of any vehicle, in which a person known Disinfection of |
contact has been conveyed, shall, if required by the Medical Officer of Health, disinfect the vehicle to his .satisfaction before its further use.
21. The person in charge of the body of a person who has died Disposal of
of an infectious disease shall comply with the orders of the Medical bodies.
| Officer of Health regarding the treatment and disposal of the body. | |
| 22.— (1.) The owner, keeper, or person having the custody of any dog shall, when required by an authorized officer, apply or permit to doss, | Trc(l( 1111MI( 0, |
| (2.) In the absence of negligence, the Commonwealth shall not incur any liability by reason of the loss of or injury to any dog during or consequent upon the application of treatment in pursuance of these Regulations. | |
| provision of these Regulations shall he guilty of an offence against olfE,lcra- | 23. Any person who contravenes or fails to comply with any poimitics(or |
these Regulations, and shall, upon conviction, be liable to a penalty not exceeding Twenty pounds, or, where the offence is constituted by a failure to comply with any notice, requisition, instruction, direction or order lawfully given under these Regulations, to a penalty not exceeding One pound for each day during which the offence continues, unless it is proved that all due diligence has been used to comply with the notice, requisition, instruction, direction or order.
THE SCHEDULES.
Regulation 4. FIRST SCHEDULE. T U B TEBMTOBY FOR THE SEAT OF GOVERNMENT.
Pnhlic Health Ordinance 1928-1930.
Public Health (Infectious Diseases) Regulations. NOTIFICATION OF INFECTIOUS DISEASE.
I hereby certify that the person whose name and address appear hereunder
is suspected by me to be suffering from
Full name of patient
Address of patient
Occupa tion < Age Sex Attends school at
Date of onset of illnessSuspected origin of disease, disposal of case, and any other remarks
Source of milk supply ' Number in household Signature
Medical Practitioner.
Date
To the Medical Officer of Health,
Canberra.
Regulations IS and lfi.
SECOND SCHEDULE.
PERIOD OF EXCLUSION FROM SCHOOL.
A patient shall be excluded from A contact shall he excluded from
Disease. attending school:— attending school:—
Diphther ia . (1) Unt i l t he Medical (1) Unti l t h e Medical
Officer of Hea l th certifies in Officer of Heal th certifies in writ ing t h a t danger of infection writing t h a t the contac t is n o t
h a s ceased ; or liable t o convoy infection ; or
(2) Unt i l a medical certificate of freedom from infectivity is
(2) Unt i l a medical certificate is furnished to tho effect t h a t
furnished. Such certificate the contact is no t liable to
shall no t be issued unt i l two convey infection. Such certifi- swabs, taken a t intervals of cate shall no t bo issued unt i l
forty-eight hours , a re negat ive . a t least one swab, t aken from
the contact , is negative.
Scarlet fever. (1) Un t i l t he Medical Officer (1) Unt i l t he Medical Officer
of Hea l th certifies in writ ing of Heal th certifies in writ ing t h a t danger of infection has t h a t the contac t is no t liable to
ceased ; or convey infection ; or
(2) Unti l a medical certificate is furnished
(2) Unti l a medical certificate
s ta t ing t h a t the is furnished to the effect t h a t
pa t i en t is no t liable to convoy tho contac t is no t liable to con- infection or unti l all traces of voy infection ; or
discharge from eyes and ears (3) Unt i l 14 days havo
have disappeared. olapsed since removal , when
t h e pa t i en t is removed, or where the contact has removed or has been removed to premises other than those
occupied by the pa t ien t .
Measles. (1) Un t i l t he Medical Officer Unt i l released by the Medical
of Hea l th certifies in writ ing t h a t Officer of Hea l th . danger of infection has ceased ;
or(2) Un t i l a medical certificate is produced s ta t ing t h a t t h e pa t i en t is no t liable to convey infection or unt i l all t races of the rash have disappeared and there is no sign of dischargo from ear, eye or nose.
SECOND SCHEDULE-—continued.
Periods of Exdvsion from firhool—continued.
Disease. A patient shall lie excluded from A contact shall he excluded from
attending school: - attendim.' school:—
| Whooping Cough. | (1) Until the Medical Officer of Heal th certifies in writ ing | Until released by the Medical |
Officer of Hea l th . t h a t danger of infection has
ceased ; or(2) Unti l a medical certificate is produced s ta t ing t h a t the pa t ien t is no t liable to convey infection or unt i l " whooping " has ceased for two weeks.
| Oerebro-spinal | (1) Unti l the Medical Officer | Unti l released bv the Medical |
| Meningitis, | of Heal th certifies in writ ing t h a t | Officer of Heal th . " |
| Polioencephalit is , | danger of infection has ceased ; |
| Poliomyelit is, | or |
| Encephal i t is | (2) Unti l a medical certificate is produced s ta t ing tha t the pa t ien t is no t liable to convey infection. |
(lethargica).
| Typhoid fever (in- | (1) Unt i l the Medical Officer |
| cluding | pa ra ty - | of Heal th certifies in writing tha t |
| phoid | fever), | danger of infection has ceased ; |
| Tuberculosis. | or |
| (2) Unt i l a medical certificate is produced s ta t ing t h a t the pa t i en t is no t liable to convey infection. |
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