Notification by head of family

Where any inmate of any building is suffering from any infectious disease, unless such building is a hospital in which persons suffering from any infectious disease are received, the head of the family to which such inmate hereinafter termed “the patient” belongs or in the event of his absence or incapacity the nearest relation of the patient resident in the same building, or in the event of the absence or incapacity of such relation, the person principally in charge of or in attendance on the patient, or if there is no such person the occupier of the building, shall as soon as he becomes aware that the patient is suffering from an infectious disease, either, (a) give notice thereof verbally or in writing to the medical officer of health; (b) if no medical officer of health be resident within a radius of three miles of the building in which such infectious disease exists, give notice verbally or in writing to the nearest magistrate, justice of the peace, health deputy schoolmaster, alcalde or police officer; or (c) call in a registered medical practitioner and place the patient under his care, and shall also in the event of the death of the patient, immediately after such death, unless the patient was then attended by some registered medical practitioner, give notice verbally or in writing to the medical officer of health, or if no medical officer of health is resident within a radius of three miles, to the nearest magistrate, justice of the peace, health officer, deputy registrar, schoolmaster, alcalde or police officer, stating the name of the patient, the situation of the building, the infectious disease of which the patient is believed to have died and the day and hour of his death.