Canadian Students Released From China Quarantine

by Rob Walker | May 6, 2009 at 05:35 am

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A group of almost 30 Canadian students have been released from quarantine in China, after spending 5 days at a lakeside resort due to fears of the H1N1 'swine flu' virus.

Despite the fact that none of the 25 students and one professor from the Universite de Montreal were ill or had been in Mexico recently, local government officials had quarantined them as soon as they arrived in China.

The 25 students and a professor — who travelled to the densely populated country last week to learn Chinese — were placed in a lakeside hotel after being pulled aside by provincial officials in Changchun after their plane landed in the northeastern city on Saturday. They were told they would be quarantined for seven days.
A Chinese official said the country will continue its strident checks on travellers from regions affected by an outbreak of the new strain of H1N1 flu, which is believed to have originated in Mexico.

A Chinese official says the group of 29 Universite de Montreal students and a professor were released today instead of Friday because they are healthy.
The decision to release the students was made following a suggestion by the Chinese Foreign Ministry. The Chinese government is maintaining a defiant tone, saying it will continue its strident checks on travellers from regions affected by the new strain of flu.