Handshakes put pair in quarantine

Larry Justice is the face of swine flu contradiction.

The film production tutor and his 16-year-old son, Lachlan, are on a two-day quarantine ordered by the Auckland Regional Public Health Service after potential contamination with swine flu yet his wife, Jessica, is free to come and go from their Titirangi home.

Lachlan played football for Oratia United under-17s on Saturday. The rival East Coast Bays team had a Rangitoto College teenager in the side, one of 22 pupils who had been to Mexico.

The Rangitoto teen arrived home from Mexico at 5am on Saturday and played that afternoon, before health authorities realised they had a possible outbreak of swine flu.

At the end of the match, the players all shook hands. Mr Justice, who coaches the Oratia United team, also shook hands with the players. Swine flu can be be passed on by physical contact.

Public health officials learnt of the game, contacted the governing Auckland soccer body and Mr Justice was told on Monday that he and his 14-strong squad were on a watch list.

They must stay at home for two days and notify the public health service if flu symptoms emerge.

Mr Justice said one Oratia player with cold-like symptoms was kept home from school on Monday. But other team members had returned to several West Auckland colleges, putting those schools at possible risk.

And while Mr Justice sits at home "reading, getting caught up on taxes", Mrs Justice goes to work.

He questioned why his wife was not required to be isolated.

Public health official Sally Young said only those with direct contact with the Rangitoto pupil required isolation at the moment. If either Mr Justice or Lachlan started showing flu symptoms, Mrs Justice's situation would be reconsidered.

The couple praised the way authorities had responded to the crisis, but said quarantine inconsistencies highlighted how impossible the task would be to contain the virus if it became more virulent.

"It makes you realise how quickly this thing can travel. A kid I don't know gets off a plane from Mexico, plays soccer and suddenly here we are," Mr Justice said.

A public health nurse telephoned all the Oratia players, but not all had been visited.

"It seems a pretty mammoth task. The nurse I spoke to said she had been working for 18 hours straight."

Another player also in quarantine is Westlake College pupil Andrew Hubble, 17. He was on the East Coast Bays team with the Rangitoto pupil.

Andrew also went to school on Monday before being contacted that night by health officials.

"I've got this Tamiflu stuff and I have to take one a day for 10 days. I just sort of thought, `How weird is this, I have to stay inside and I haven't even been to Mexico."'

- © Fairfax NZ News