Nelson Weekly Locally Owned and Operated
tuesday 18 July 2017
wwI uniform ‘home’
Gymnasts aiming for nationals
page 8
Flu season takes grip of Nelson Kate Russell Reporter
kate@nelsonweekly.co.nz
After a slow start to the winter, the flu season is hitting Nelson hard with the hospital reporting cases of influenza and increased respiratory infections. “After a mild start, we can confirm that the flu season has started in the Nelson region,” says the district health board’s clinical nurse specialist, Barbara Gibson. Nelson GP spokesman Graham Loveridge says there has been a sharp increase in both colds and flu over the last couple of weeks. “It’s about usual for this time of year, but there hadn’t been much in May or June so it feels like a sudden onset.” He adds that there has been a good uptake of flu vaccine this winter, with many work places giving free flu vaccine to help keep staff at work. “The flu vaccine gives good, but not absolute, protection probably 60 percent effective.”
He says avoiding contact with flu sufferers, hand washing, avoiding touching your face, alcohol hand-sanitisers and plenty of sleep, all help to stay healthy. “And those with the flu should stay away from work.” Harley’s Pharmacy owner Andrew Harley says they are seeing more customers with the flu - rather than milder cold symptoms - this winter. “This year’s flu has been pretty intense and the worst thing is that it lingers for a long time. This one has a nasty cough that can linger for three weeks or so. “The people who have been hit have been hit hard this year.” He adds that they haven’t experienced any surges in cold and flu medication sales, with more people going straight to their doctor. Nelson Hospital specialist Richard Everts says that while Nelson flu-like illness rates are low compared with the
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The Wells family at the Blessing of the Fleet on Saturday. They are from left; Jude Wells, Erinna Sygrove, Grace Tuani, Amanda Cuff, Jonty Tuani and Dennis Wells. Photo: Brittany Spencer.
Family remember lost fisherman Brittany Spencer
Amanda Cuff knew something was wrong when she arrived at Duncan Bay and saw that her stepfather was nowhere to be found. She was just 14-yearsold when Barry Wells went missing on Queen’s Birthday Weekend, 1999. Barry was meant to sail out to the bay and meet his family, who were driving, and meet up for the long weekend.
A decorated fishing boat makes it way past the crowds at the Blessing of the Fleet on Saturday. “When we got to Dun- something had happened can Bay in the evening to him and the boat on he wasn’t there, we knew the way,” Amanda says.
His boat was found on the Sunday afternoon, in gear, and with the locator beacon, life raft and lifejackets still onboard. But Barry was nowhere to be seen. As soon as he was reported missing, the whole Nelson fleet went straight out to look for him and continued to do so for weeks. “The official search finished when they found
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