Chapter 470 The Flu Is Coming
Before the plan to move the capital of Australasia was officially implemented, the sudden arrival of Batty, the director of the Royal Security Intelligence Service, made Arthur change his face instantly, and he convened an emergency cabinet meeting and ordered all cabinet members All present.
The Royal Security Intelligence Service obtained a large amount of war intelligence for Australasia during the war, and its current scale has grown to very large.
Thanks to the fact that Australasia is a colonial country, the intelligence officers of the Royal Security Intelligence Service can be Germans, British, Russians, or East Asians.
It can be said that the personnel of the Security Intelligence Agency can disguise themselves as civilians in most countries, which is also beneficial to the Intelligence Agency's intelligence exploration in Europe and America.
The information that made Arthur's face change drastically came from the United States and some European countries.
Although the war has ended early, Arthur knows that there is another crisis that is more harmful than the war is about to come.
According to Director Batty's report, as early as March and April this year, a rapidly spreading influenza occurred in a military camp in Kansas, USA.
The symptoms of this flu are only headache, high fever, muscle aches and loss of appetite. It is not harmful in any way, so it is not taken seriously by the United States.
It was not until more than a month later that the influenza that spread in the United States was brought to Europe because of the Paris Peace Conference, and began to spread in France. It also spread to the United Kingdom, Spain and other countries with the Paris Peace Conference.
Director Batty suddenly felt bad because it was very similar to what Arthur had ordered at the time, a type of influenza that was first spread in the United States and Europe.
Without any consideration. Director Batty immediately asked to see Arthur and reported on the latest influenza situation in Europe and the United States.
Although influenza has appeared frequently in countries including the United States, the United Kingdom, France, Spain, Italy and other countries, it is not yet fatal and has not received any attention from any country.
Everyone thinks it's just a common cold, and most people even just take some common cold medicine and ignore it.
Of course, there are also a large number of civilians and low-income people in areas where influenza is spreading, and these people don't even care. After all, they don't have enough money to buy medicines.
If Arthur remembers correctly, the famous Spanish flu in history was actually the first to spread in the United States, and the first spread was not very harmful.
It was not until the second spread that the Spanish Flu demonstrated its harmfulness to the world and killed at least 25 million people, which was more than the number of people who died in World War I.
Knowing that a pandemic influenza might have broken out, Arthur did not hesitate or doubt at all. He immediately convened a cabinet meeting and issued an order to enter a wartime state in Australasia.
Arthur requested that most coastal ports be closed, leaving only a small number of ports to communicate with the outside world.
These ports that are still open need to be quarantined, and communication with non-open areas is not allowed for a short period of time.
At the same time, Arthur asked the government to prepare an order requiring all Australasians to self-examine themselves. Once they are found to have flu symptoms such as headache, high fever, muscle aches and loss of appetite, they must immediately go to a quarantine point set up by the government and minimize and minimize Contact with others.
In addition, almost all external channels are closed, including airship flights.
Only Arthur understands how exaggerated this flu is. If it is not taken seriously, it may reduce the population of Australasia by more than one-fifth at any time.
Under Arthur's order, the government quickly issued a notice to the outside world, and Australasia instantly entered a state of lockdown.
Keeping several open ports not only accepts immigrants, but also ensures the supply of materials to overseas colonies.
After all, the major colonies also have a large population. We can't let these people starve to death just because of this flu.
At the same time, under the supervision of the Australasian government, state governments and cities began to set up quarantine areas far away from the city, and called on people with symptoms to go to the quarantine areas on their own. The government would provide free accommodation and supplies.
For a while, Australasia took action because of the government's order, but it soon caused a lot of panic among the people.
This temporary state without any announcement and strict control are the most frightening. No one knows what happened to the government and why it suddenly entered a wartime state after winning the war.
On May 27, 1918, the day after Australasia entered martial law, the Royal Academy of Australasia contacted major media at home and abroad and broke a shocking news, which was already spreading around the world. A highly lethal form of influenza that has become a source of infection in much of Europe.
In order to show the importance it attaches to its allies and the World Alliance, at the same time as this news broke, the Australasian government contacted the four major powers of the Entente and all member states of the World Alliance, asking all governments to pay attention to this influenza. Enough to destroy a country.
To be honest, after hearing the warning from Australasia, most countries, including Britain and France, had only one thought, that is, the Australasians were crazy.
If there really was a kind of influenza with a very high fatality rate in Europe, it was impossible for these countries not to know about it, let alone Australasia to be the first to know about it.
Even though the Australasian government's warning is just and right, not many countries take the influenza exposure exposed in Australasia seriously.
It’s not that some countries don’t take it seriously, but after asking relevant domestic medical institutions or research laboratories and getting the results that there was indeed influenza, but not fatal, they safely ignored Australasia’s warning. Some countries have even publicly opposed Australasia's warning, believing that Australasia's words are unfounded and have affected world peace and stability.
It is a serious disruption to the world order and damaging to the interests of countries where the influenza transmission areas exposed in Australasia are located.
As the saying goes, no tears will be shed until the coffin is seen. Even if there is such an outbreak of influenza, most countries will not dare to issue relevant orders easily.
In particular, a complete isolation order like the one in Australasia will seriously endanger the interests of all major classes in the country, and even the government may be overthrown.
It is impossible for countries to take immediate action because of Australasia's words. Unless the epidemic is quite serious, such a major matter is not something that the government can have the final say on.
While European countries have questioned the exposure of Australasia and have condemned Australasia for endangering world order, Arthur has ordered the government to distribute free supplies and disinfectants to all people.
Masks have been mass-produced along with gas masks. Australasia currently has a large stock of masks, which are prepared for this flu.
There are also a large number of gas masks prepared for frontline port and hospital workers, which can better protect against influenza viruses.
The exposure of the Australasian Academy of Sciences has caused quite a shock at home and abroad. Most people in China still believe in the Australasian Academy of Sciences.
After all, the Australasian government has never done anything ridiculous so far, and the people are obviously more willing to believe the government than condemnation from foreign media.
Although blocking the port is not conducive to people's lives, most people have no objections to this. Many people even think that they have such symptoms and spontaneously go to isolation points set up by their governments.
The isolation point is actually very simple. Some are an independent building that has been temporarily requisitioned to become an isolation point in the city.
Some are too remote and use a large number of tents as isolation points, but they can also have one tent per person.
Supplies at the isolation point are distributed on time every day, and the government is responsible for all the food, drink, and toileting of the quarantined people.
Although the revelations from the Royal Academy of Sciences are somewhat alarmist, many people are still very worried about it, fearing that they will be infected with a disease with a high fatality rate.
In response, Arthur stood up in time to stabilize order in Australasia. Compared with the wartime state and control state implemented in the country, Arthur said that it is to completely isolate the spread of the virus abroad.
In order to prevent the spread of influenza that has already occurred in Australasia, Arthur encouraged all people with symptoms to go to an isolation point to avoid spreading the disease to their family, friends and others.
Of course, this also specifically promises that the government will distribute enough supplies to everyone to ensure that no one will be troubled by hunger in any state.
For people going to isolation points, priority will be given to ensuring the daily necessities of these people.
Once a real case of transmission is discovered, the royal family and the government will bear all medical expenses to ensure that the public will not be unable to afford medical treatment in the face of such a severe influenza.
The day after Arthur stood up to comfort the people, states and municipal governments distributed masks, disinfectants and some supplies to the people to ensure that people's lives would not be affected.
Although external channels are closed, circulation in major cities has not been affected. However, Arthur requires everyone to wear masks when entering public places to reduce the probability of spreading the virus to others and contracting the virus.
This also reflects Arthur's high popularity and high prestige. Even if people are no longer dissatisfied with the government's policies, following Arthur's call, the vast majority of people have voluntarily worn masks when entering public places.
Some people who don't wear masks will be condemned by most people, and they can only go home in a panic and put on masks before going out.
There were some who refused to wear masks, but they were quickly reported and invited to the local police station for a cup of tea and meals for a few days.
At the same time, Arthur also requires all government personnel and workers to wear masks during work and in public places.
For jobs that are really not suitable for wearing masks, the entire enterprise and factory will be quarantined, and the government will distribute supplies to the factory.
This system is somewhat based on the experience of later generations, but it can definitely play a very good defensive role against such a severe influenza.
Australasia has a vast territory and sparsely populated areas, coupled with a relatively strict isolation system. Although there is no guarantee that there will be no flu cases at all, we can still be confident that it will not be too seriously affected.
As for the economic losses caused by such isolation and blockade policies, there is nothing that can be done. After all, a small economic loss is much better than tens of thousands or even hundreds of thousands of casualties.
Under Arthur's call, all strata of Australasia also took action, which was completely different from the laughter and laughter abroad, as if they were in two different worlds.
The third update of 3200 words, late, sorry!
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(End of chapter)