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Infantile Paralysis Precautions (Consolidation) Act

LAWS OF THE REPUBLIC OF VANUATU
CONSOLIDATED EDITION 2006

Commencement: 6 February 1948

CHAPTER 21
INFANTILE PARALYSIS PRECAUTIONS (CONSOLIDATION)

JR 4 of 1948

ARRANGEMENT OF SECTIONS

PART 1 – GENERAL PROVISIONS

1. Interpretation
2. Danger area
3. Arrival from danger area
4. Definition of "disembarkation"

PART 2 – PASSENGERS DISEMBARKING IN VANUATU

5. Inspection of disembarking passengers
6. Passengers from danger area not to disembark except at destination

PART 3 – TRANSIT OR THROUGH PASSENGERS

7. Transit passengers from danger area not to disembark without permission

PART 4 – SHIPS' AND AIRCRAFTS' OFFICERS AND CREW

8. Crew from danger area not to disembark without permission

PART 5 – OPERATIONS OF VESSELS AND AIRCRAFT

9. Conditions for operations in Vanuatu

PART 6 – SPECIAL MEASURES

10. Quarantine measures and surveillance

PART 7 – PENALTIES, ETC.

11. Forcible return to vessel or aircraft
12 Responsibility for observance of Act
13. Offences and penalties
14. Application of Act to other diseases

INFANTILE PARALYSIS PRECAUTIONS (CONSOLIDATION)

To consolidate and revise special enactments issued to provide precautions against the introduction of Poliomyelitis (Infantile Paralysis) into Vanuatu.

PART 1 – GENERAL PROVISIONS

1. Interpretation

In this Act –

“Minister” means the Minister responsible for health.

2. Danger area

For the purposes of this Act any place from which, in the opinion of the Minister, poliomyelitis may be introduced into Vanuatu may be declared by the Minister by Order under this Act to be a “danger area”.

3. Arrival from danger area

Any person arriving in Vanuatu from a danger area within 21 days of departure from such area or of contact with any case of poliomyelitis en route shall be subject to the appropriate provisions of this Act until the completion of 21 days since such departure or contact.

4. Definition of ''disembarkation"

In the case of aircraft the word “disembarkation” shall mean the quitting of any place in which a passenger, officer or member of the crew, has been instructed to remain by any port health officer or other medical officer acting in such a capacity, or the District Commissioner or the Commissioner of Police, or other officer authorised to that effect by the Minister.

PART 2 – PASSENGERS DISEMBARKING IN VANUATU

5. Inspection of disembarking passengers

(1) No passenger coming under the provisions of section 3 whose final destination is Vanuatu shall disembark in Vanuatu from any aircraft or vessel until he has been inspected by a port health officer or other medical officer acting in such capacity and he shall comply with any written instructions given him by such officer.

(2) Notwithstanding any written instructions issued as aforesaid, any such passenger who, after disembarkation, is residing within 5 miles radius of any established medical institution or medical practitioner shall report to any such medical institution or medical practitioner daily for inspection until the completion of the 21 days mentioned in section 3. The medical practitioner or medical institution concerned may be designated in a written order by the port health officer or medical officer concerned and the passengers concerned on receiving such order shall comply therewith. The port health officer or medical officer concerned shall advise the selected medical institution or medical practitioner concerned accordingly.

(3) Notwithstanding any written instructions issued as aforesaid any such passenger disembarking in Vanuatu, but not coming within the provisions of subsection (2), shall take all possible steps to proceed immediately for inspection to the nearest or most convenient medical institution or medical practitioner, should, before the completion of the 21 days aforesaid, his temperature rise or he suffer from any illness however slight. He should in any case take all possible steps to inform a local medical authority thereof.

6. Passengers from danger area not to disembark except at destination

Passengers coming under the provisions of section 3 shall not disembark at any place other than their destination in Vanuatu without the written permission of a port health officer or medical officer acting in such a capacity. Such permission shall only be granted for urgent legitimate reasons. The permit given shall state the reason for disembarkation and the conditions under which the permit is issued. Except in a medical emergency under no conditions shall such passengers landing from a ship spend the night on shore, but those permitted to land from an aircraft may be allowed to spend the night in a specified place on stated conditions, if the port health officer or medical officer concerned sees fit.

PART 3 – TRANSIT OR THROUGH PASSENGERS

7. Transit passengers from danger area not to disembark without permission

Transit or through passengers coming under the provisions of section 3 shall not disembark in Vanuatu without the written permission of a port health officer or medical officer acting in such a capacity. Such permission shall only be granted for urgent legitimate reasons. Transit or through passengers of aircraft may be permitted under stated written conditions to spend the night in a specified place, should the port health officer or medical officer concerned see fit.

PART 4 – SHIPS’ AND AIRCRAFTS’ OFFICERS AND CREW

8. Crew from danger area not to disembark without permission

No officer or any member of the crew of any vessel or aircraft coming under the provisions of section 3 shall be allowed to disembark except with the written permission of a port health officer or medical officer acting in such a capacity. Such permission shall be confined to the conduct of the vessel’s or aircraft’s legitimate operations or business and shall include, where necessary, instructions regarding the conduct of such operations at inter-island ports and anchorages and regarding procedure to be carried out in case any sickness is observed on the vessel or aircraft during the stay of the vessel or aircraft in Vanuatu.

PART 5 – OPERATIONS OF VESSELS AND AIRCRAFT

9. Conditions for operations in Vanuatu

The operations (such as loading, unloading, refuelling, embarking passengers) in Vanuatu of any aircraft or vessel arriving from a danger area within 21 days of departure therefrom shall be governed by the following provisions –

1. local labour, utilized for loading and unloading etc., shall not be utilized without the written permission of a port health officer or medical officer acting as such and shall be kept as far as possible out of contact with the officers, passengers and crew of such vessel or aircraft. The permission of the said port health officer or medical officer may specify other instructions to this effect;
   
2. local labour shall not be embarked and carried on any such vessel or aircraft for inter-island operations without the written permission of a port health officer or medical officer acting in such capacity. Such permission shall state the conditions under which labour can be carried and in any case all such labour must be presented to a medical officer or port health officer for inspection before final disembarkation;
   

100. the port health officer or any medical officer concerned may regulate the manner in which passengers or others including inter-island, may be embarked and disembarked, may forbid the embarkation of inter-island passengers and may forbid the boarding of any ship or aircraft by visitors or unauthorised persons. Copies of such instructions in writing shall be given to the captain of the vessel or aircraft concerned.
     

PART 6 – SPECIAL MEASURES

10. Quarantine measures and surveillance

In cases where extreme danger of introduction of the disease is apprehended the Minister may by Order issue special instructions regarding quarantine measures and surveillance of any vessels or aircraft and the passengers, officers, and crews thereof coming from a danger area.

PART 7 – PENALTIES, ETC.

11. Forcible return to vessel or aircraft

Any person committing a breach of a permit or instruction given under this Act may be apprehended by force and returned to any vessel or aircraft on which he is travelling, or detained at any place which the Minister may designate, until his quarantine period is over.

12. Responsibility for observance of Act

The captain of vessels and aircraft shall be responsible for the observance of this Act by officers, crew and passengers under their control, but this shall not absolve any person of individual responsibility under this Act.

13. Offences and penalties

Any person committing a breach of this Act or of any permit or instruction issued thereunder shall be guilty of an offence and shall be punishable on conviction by a fine not exceeding VT 30,000 and imprisonment of 1 month or by one or other of these penalties.

14. Application of Act to other diseases

The provisions of this Act may, by Order, be made applicable in respect of any other disease for which in the opinion of the Minister special measures are required.