Most Canterbury Flu Centres to Close Tomorrow

All Flu Centres in the Canterbury region, except for the Central Christchurch centre in St Asaph St, will close at the end of business tomorrow, Tuesday 11 August.

The St Asaph St Centre will be operating on reduced hours and is planned to close on Tuesday 18 August.

The Canterbury Flu Line 0800 30 37 30 which has been open to respond to people’s queries about influenza and to direct them to a Flu Centre will officially close on  Friday 21 August.  After this time, anyone calling the number will be directed to phone their GP or their GP’s After Hours Service.

Phil Schroeder, leader of the Canterbury Primary Care Pandemic Group, said that while there is still some swine flu in our community, the numbers are not enough to warrant continuation of the Flu Centres.

“People in Christchurch can continue to call the Canterbury Flu Line 0800 30 37 30 for the next week but otherwise they should now call their GP if they are worried about their flu symptoms or 111 if it is an emergency,” he said.

“General Practitioners have been updated on how they can see patients with influenza and keep the rest of their patients safe from getting the flu.  The number of people currently becoming unwell across the city means that each General Practice is likely to see only small numbers of flu patients.”

As always, if people become unwell with influenza they should stay at home away from work and school, cover their coughs and sneezes and wash their hands frequently.

“Most people have been able to manage at home through this pandemic by resting, drinking plenty of fluids and taking paracetamol for pain or fever,” Dr Schroeder said.

“It would be a real shame if people forgot what they had learnt in the past few months and stopped practising the good infection control habits that they have developed.”

ENDS