Sales of hand sanitiser, face masks and Tamiflu have risen steadily over the past week at Timaru pharmacies contacted, particularly to people intending to travel overseas, and those living in rural areas.
Pharmacist Ross Carrick, of Moyle's Pharmacy, and locum pharmacist at Unichem Timaru Pharmacy, Ron Luxton, agreed the general public had been complacent.
However, they had noticed people were now taking the threat of swine flu more seriously, and appeared to be following the precautions recommended by the South Canterbury District Health Board's (SCDHB) emergency operations team.
Timaru District Council emergency management officer Lamorna Cooper said it was not surprising people had not taken it more seriously until now.
‘‘They have had other things on their minds. People focus on the things that affect them immediately,'' she said.
Events over the past weekend, which included a doubling in the number of confirmed cases in New Zealand, and the stance taken by the Government and SCDHB emergency operations team, meant people in South Canterbury were now saying ‘‘yes, this will happen''.
Ms Cooper said she had noticed a dramatic shift in attitudes, with many people now preparing for the possibility of contracting the virus.
However, like emergency operations team spokesman Dr Daniel Williams, she cautioned against panic. Dr Williams said the spread of swine flu to South Canterbury was ‘‘inevitable'', but this did not mean the disease was severe.
Ms Cooper said it was about taking common-sense precautions such as good hygiene practices, looking out for friends, family and neighbours and planning for business continuity.
‘‘It's all the usual things you do, like when you hear there's a bit of snow on the way,'' she said.
As far as authorities in South Canterbury were concerned it was ‘‘business as usual'' because of planning and preparation that was always going on behind the scenes.
Dr Williams said the emergency operations team had received ‘‘a high level of support and cooperation'' from members of the public in South Canterbury.
- Andrea Kydd-Law