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Swine Flu Affects Study-Abroad Students

Hawaii Students Face Quarantine Abroad

POSTED: 8:33 pm HST June 2, 2009
UPDATED: 8:59 pm HST June 2, 2009

Swine flu fear is affecting study abroad programs particularly in China and Japan.

Cancellations and quarantines complicated summer trips planned by Hawaii students.

Hainan University near Hong Kong is where a group University of Hawaii students entered into their second week of study.

Their first week was spent in quarantine in a building.

"There were two students who had slightly degree higher temperature," said Sarita Rai, UH Study Abroad Director.

The rest of the students were quarantined at a guest house on the Hainan campus while the two students were taken to a local hospital.

Rai said aside from some stir crazy students the educational programs in China are still on track for the summer.

But in Japan where swine flu outbreak has closed schools, one university in Kobe pulled back on hosting Hawaii students.

UH had to find another school in Tokyo that would agree to step in on short notice. Fortunately, Kobe has agreed to pick up the tab for the inconvenience.

"The rerouting costs the penalty. They are paying for it," Rai said.

A few miles away at Punahou School the head of the Wo International Center just cancelled a trip to China disappointing about 20 students who had been looking forward to the cultural exchange.

"Our students will have to stay in a hotel quarantined and if we can prove we have no fevers then we can go on campus, but there will be no exchanges, no host families," said Hope Kuo Staab, Wo International Center Director.

But that was kind of the whole point of the annual trips that Hawaii students and teachers have been a part of for so long.

In China, the national government leaves it up to the provincial or local governments so there are different polices depending on the location.

For Hawaii students it's turning out a summer full of lessons about public health and diplomacy.
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