11/10/1918: The "Flu" Lid
Item
Title
11/10/1918: The "Flu" Lid
Creator
The Eau Claire Leader
Source
Newspaper Archives
Date
November 10, 1918
Coverage
Eau Claire, Wi
Description
An op-ed published in the Eau Claire Leader in which the writer gives their opinions on the closing of spaces in Eau Claire due to the epidemic.
Format
Newspaper
Rights
Public domain. For more information contact Special Collections and Archives, McIntyre Library, UW-Eau Claire.
Publisher
The Eau Claire Leader
transcription
"Editor Leader -- On Sunday, November 10th, churches, school, theatres, etc. will have been closed one month by order of the Board of Health on account of the influenza epidemic. The ban was lifted by the State Board November 1, leaving it optional with the local boards to lift the ban when they considered it consistent.
It is a matter of importance to the citizens as to when the churches, schools, and places of amusement will be allowed to re-open. It is to be expected that no matter what regulations are placed on the different places closed, that there will be a few new cases each day for some little time. It seems that just as soon as the situation here shows that new cases are not increasing, in view of the fact that the epidemic has been light here, that the local board should not keep the lid on a single day unnecessarily.
It is the opinion of many prominent citizens that other non-essential business places should have been placed under the band or regulated more forcibly to help stamp out the "flu," thereby allowing the re-opening of churches and schools at as early a date as possible. It seems hard on school teachers and others whose living depends solely on this issue that there should be any [illegible word] in any instance in the efforts to stamp out the influenza in Eau Claire.
The authorities are to be congratulated on the regulation that they placed, although they were three weeks late, on the number allowed to gather in saloons and ice cream parlors. It is to be hoped that officers will see that these regulations are strictly obeyed.
It has been possible in many of the nearby cities to re-open after two or three weeks closing. It seems to the writer that if all citizens tend their individual support and exercise good judgement and care, there should be no reason why Eau Claire, too, cannot safely lift its ban the same as have many nearby cities such as Madison, Appleton, Milwaukee, Winona, Chippewa Falls, Menomonie, and Green Bay, Wis. most of which cities have had many more cases of influenza in comparison to size than has Eau Claire.
Many think that houses where influenza was prevalent should have placarded to avoid any possibility of contagion by persons entering, not knowing there was sickness within.
Yours respectfully,
A Citizen"
It is a matter of importance to the citizens as to when the churches, schools, and places of amusement will be allowed to re-open. It is to be expected that no matter what regulations are placed on the different places closed, that there will be a few new cases each day for some little time. It seems that just as soon as the situation here shows that new cases are not increasing, in view of the fact that the epidemic has been light here, that the local board should not keep the lid on a single day unnecessarily.
It is the opinion of many prominent citizens that other non-essential business places should have been placed under the band or regulated more forcibly to help stamp out the "flu," thereby allowing the re-opening of churches and schools at as early a date as possible. It seems hard on school teachers and others whose living depends solely on this issue that there should be any [illegible word] in any instance in the efforts to stamp out the influenza in Eau Claire.
The authorities are to be congratulated on the regulation that they placed, although they were three weeks late, on the number allowed to gather in saloons and ice cream parlors. It is to be hoped that officers will see that these regulations are strictly obeyed.
It has been possible in many of the nearby cities to re-open after two or three weeks closing. It seems to the writer that if all citizens tend their individual support and exercise good judgement and care, there should be no reason why Eau Claire, too, cannot safely lift its ban the same as have many nearby cities such as Madison, Appleton, Milwaukee, Winona, Chippewa Falls, Menomonie, and Green Bay, Wis. most of which cities have had many more cases of influenza in comparison to size than has Eau Claire.
Many think that houses where influenza was prevalent should have placarded to avoid any possibility of contagion by persons entering, not knowing there was sickness within.
Yours respectfully,
A Citizen"