SCHOOLS CLOSED IN BEIJING

Sky News ^ | 4-22-03

[Prince Charles]

SCHOOLS CLOSED IN BEIJING

Beijing will suspend school classes from Thursday due to the deadly flu-like virus Sars.

A municipal education official said classes would be suspended from April 24 to May 7 to "safeguard the health of students".

Beijing has an estimated 1.7 million primary and secondary school students.

Mid-term examinations and excursions would be cancelled, the official quoted an Education Ministry directive as saying.

But if both parents of a student work during the daytime, they can still send their child to school, which would effectively serve as day care centres, the official said.

Sars has killed 28 people and infected 588 in Beijing.

Another 666 suspected cases have been recorded.

More to follow...

Last Updated: 02:37 UK, Wednesday April 23, 2003

[TexanToTheCore]

They are using the correct method finally to limit the spread of the flu. I suspect that this outbreak in China is far more serious than they have reported.

[math=power]

I'd say you're right. They have already lost control of this. Just wait until it gets into the Ganges in India.

[First Amendment]

Sars has killed 28 people and infected 588 in Beijing.

This is so hard to believe... especially the number of dead.

[Prince Charles]

-MORE-

The worldwide death toll is at least 230 as the virus continues to spread across Asia.

A second death has been reported in Malaysia and five more people are dead in Hong Kong.

Medical experts fear it could be mutating, complicating the hunt for a vaccine.

In Dublin, a Chinese woman is said to be at "very serious risk" of having contracted Sars.

The woman arrived in Dublin on a flight from the Far East last week and took herself to the city's St Vincent's Hospital last Friday.

But she was given a surgical mask and told to return to the hostel where she had been staying.

It was only upon reporting to doctors again on Tuesday that she was confirmed as a suspected carrier of the virus.

In Canada, health officials reported another the death of a 64-year-old man, bringing the country's toll to 15 among 324 probable cases.











Last Updated: 04:33 UK, Wednesday April 23, 2003