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Summer youth activities axed amid outbreak

Most international schools have cancelled their summer activities due to the swine flu outbreak despite having government approval to go ahead with programmes as long as hygiene measures are rigorously enforced.

The English Schools Foundation decided to cancel a volunteer programme called 'Summer Bridge', one of the main activities staged by the foundation. Sixty Year 12 students would have taught about 280 local school students English for six weeks at Island School and West Island School.

'We made the decision a few weeks ago when the situation was more risky with great regret, but we could not take that risk,' Peter Craughwell, the ESF's communications boss, said. He said students might be upset by the cancellation of the project, which had been planned months in advance.

The summer programme at the Chinese International School, offering language, science and physical education for ages four to 18, has also been cancelled. The school offered full refunds to parents.

Guidelines issued to organisers called for frequent disinfection of premises and for children to be seated further apart.

University of Hong Kong microbiologist Ho Pak-leung said it was understandable that some schools had cancelled activities due to health concerns, especially when there were not enough resources to support hygiene measures. He said parents could wait for another two weeks before deciding on activities, when the swine flu situation became clearer. But he said infections could increase if people let down their guard, adding that the virus had replaced the Brisbane strain of seasonal flu.

Five secondary schools in Kowloon Tong, Sha Tin and Wong Tai Sin will bring forward the start of the summer break to today after five students were confirmed to have swine flu. All are in stable condition. The schools are Rhenish Church Pang Hok-ko Memorial College, Baptist Lui Ming Choi Secondary School, Po Leung Kuk No1 W.H. Cheung College, Buddhist Hung Sean Chau Memorial College and CCC Kei Heep Secondary School.

Meanwhile, a concern group urged the government to pay more attention to the elderly instead of focusing on children.

'If the elderly get infected with swine flu, they would be as vulnerable as children,' Against Elderly Abuse's Lam Man-chiu said.

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