New Ban To Close Many Schools

• “Effect of New Ban: All elementary schools, public, private, and parochial, and private kindergartens, closed until further notice. Children less than 16 years old barred from theaters, motion picture houses, Sunday schools, stores, shops, street cars, public gatherings, and all places of amusement. High schools and University of Cincinnati to be closed when pupils absent because of illness of influenza aggregate 5% of the total enrollment.”• Order issued yesterday by Board of Health at behest of Health Officer William H. Peters, with support of Pres. Board Education Dr. J. M. Withrow and Superintendent of Schools Randall J. Condon.• Children under 16 may not ride on street cars except for emergency situations. High school students will receive permits to ride on street cars.• Hughes High School may close today due to this ruling, since survey yesterday showed that 146 students were out due to influenza, so there will be another survey today.• Civic Director of the Board of Education announced last night that children older than 16 may still go to night schools.• There are no rules about adults and no general quarantine measures, since the disease seems to be mostly among children.• Superintendent Randall Condon made a survey of elementary schools yesterday, which showed that 13,314 students were absent out of 40,789 total. 5,036 of the absentees were sick with influenza, 12% total enrollment. The rest were being kept at home in prevention of the sickness.• 713 high school students were absent out of 4,792. 245 (5%) were sick with influenza, over half these students were from Hughes High School.• Pres. Board Education Dr. J. M. Withrow told the Board of Health that normally, 8% of the total enrollment was absent daily.• Superintendent Dr. Randall J. Condon “urgently” requested that there be an order forbidding children to enter theaters and go to other gatherings, and he implied “it was useless to close schools if children were to be permitted to congregate within other [enclosures].”• Superintendent Dr. Randall J. Condon received survey statistics that showed epidemic was not only in a given locality, general all over Cincinnati. Sayler Park, Hyde Park, Westwood, 23rd District Cumminsville, and Evanston all reported “large falling off in attendance.”• Cincinnati Traction Company officials were told early that children would not be allowed to ride in street cars. The company is seeking legal help from City Solicitor Saul Zielonka and Cincinnati Traction Company attorneys. This is according to Vice President Walter A. Draper.• Walter A. Draper said that the company will cooperate with the orders if “they can be enforced reasonably and legally.”• Draper said that the problem might be if the company can legally deny someone admission that has money for the fare, and the attorneys will have to decide this.• Board of Health members requested parents to not allow their children to enter street cars.• “Marked increase in number of new cases” reported yesterday at Health Dept – Friday, 196 cases, largest number in a day last week; 19 deaths, 8 more than the average last week.• Health Officer William Peters estimated that 7,500 children have influenza, most between 3 and 12 years old. • 40 patients admitted to GH yesterday, total at GH 333, 82 of which have pneumonia, 8 deaths at the GH yesterday• Superintendent Walter E. List said that it was not necessary to reopen the Emergency Hospital at County Infirmary yet, but it is ready.• John Weinig, a motion picture theater owner proposed a resolution on behalf of other theaters and owners to support the board’s prohibition of children, and express they would comply with the orders.• Yesterday, rules about ventilation of street cars were put into place, which state that heat regulation of cars must take place in barns, and signs need to be posted as well (in the cars).• Health Officer William Peters said that the whole state of Ohio was suffering from recurrence of influenza, and the reason for this was the peace celebration crowds three weeks ago.• Safety Director John R. Holmes gave the County Infirmary, Carthage back to County Commissioners, and said that it would not be needed as a hospital anymore. County Infirmary has been fumigated, and inmates will be moving out of there today.• 75% of total inmates went to Cincinnati Infirmary when it was a hospital, the rest stayed with relatives. They will likely apply for readmission to the County Infirmary.• Superintendent Walter E. List appealed to Safety Director John R. Holmes last night “for additional means of transportation for patients” due to the high number of patients received last night.• Safety Director John R. Holmes notified Night Chief of Police Kirgan to allow all police automobile patrols to be used by GH and Superintendent Walter E. List.• Sheriff George F. Schott contracted influenza yesterday, but “his condition is not serious.”• Since elementary schools are closed, visiting school nurses have been assigned to different places for district work.• People that would like to serve as a nurse are asked to apply to the Social Unit Organization, General Hospital, Anti-tuberculosis League, or the Visiting Nurses Association.Newspaper article1