Quarantine lifted for St George's School pupils in Beijing (From St Albans & Harpenden Review)

Quarantine lifted for St George's School pupils in Beijing

12:03pm Monday 20th July 2009 in

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TWENTY sixth formers and three members of staff from St George's School in Harpenden have not been affected by swine flu while on a cultural exchange trip in China.

The students are among 100 pupils from the UK on a popular summer school visit known as Han Ban.

Eight teenagers from other schools in Britain who are also on the two-week cultural stay were diagnosed with the virus while in Beijing.

Norman Hoare, headteacher at the St George's in Sun Lane, has made contact with assistant head Jeremy Hollingsworth with the students, now in Xian, a city to the north-east of Beijing.

Mr Hollingsworth has confirmed none of the teachers or students from Harpenden has been affected and they are free to continue their trip.

The pupils were in quarantine for 24 hours when they arrived in Beijing yesterday, but Mr Hollingsworth has said they will carry on with their tour exploring China's heritage.

Mr Hoare said: “None of the 100 students and 20 plus teachers now in Xian have swine flu. They would not have been allowed to travel onto the second stage of their tour of anyone had been affected.

“The St George's group is being very well looked after by the Han Ban organisers. They are in a five- star hotel which the students have enjoyed immensely.”

He added that all the pupils were briefed on personal hygiene before embarking on their trip. To make up for the 24 hours they were quarantined for yesterday, the group plan on returning to Beijing for sight-seeing they missed out on.