The New South Wales (NSW) government have warned parents to keep their children home if they feel unwell following a sharp increase in stomach flu outbreaks in childcare centres around the state. NSW Health’s Executive Director of Health Protection, Richard Broome, revealed that there had been 156 reported outbreaks of gastroenteritis in early childhood education centres across the state in February thus far. Almost 1,000 children and 210 staff members have been affected so far, almost double what is normally reported in February. “NSW Health has notified the directors of NSW early childhood education services to an increase in viral gastroenteritis outbreaks and since then there have been further notifications of gastroenteritis outbreaks across the sector,” Broome said. Viral gastroenteritis, also known as the stomach flu, is an infection of the stomach and intestines that is highly infectious. It is spread from the vomit or stool of an infectious person, …