At the beginning of its fall semester, the Chinese People's Armed Police Force Academy in Hebei Province is allegedly experiencing a massive outbreak of H1N1 on campus. The Academy will close for two weeks with an indefinite period of quarantine.
The H1N1 virus had already spread to college towns and middle schools five miles away in the Langfang area. College towns have been forced to close down. Meanwhile, internet news posts about the H1N1 outbreak have been blocked on China’s Internet forums.
Chinese authorities block news of the H1N1 outbreak
When interviewed by The Epoch Times, several residents in Langfang revealed that college students at the Chinese People's Armed Police Force Academy have caught H1N1 flu (or swine flu). Following that, it spread to several key areas in Xixiao District. Then it spread to college towns in the Langfang Development District, the Eighth Middle School, and Fourth Middle School in Langfang, and the Artillery Academy.
On Sept. 7, The Epoch Times talked with a management staff member at the Chinese People's Armed Police Force Academy. He said that freshmen, especially those from southern China, were thought to be the carriers of the virus. He confirmed that the school had already closed for five days since Sept. 3. The school had notified the students that the school would be closed for two weeks. Shortly afterwards, the school received an order from above that the school must be quarantined.
The management staff added that the students were immediately quarantined as soon as they were suspected of having the virus. Those who were severely ill were sent to Beijing, and others with less severe symptoms had been checked into the campus hospital where they were receiving professional medical treatment. He said that three students with confirmed cases were sent to Beijing, and that fewer than 200 are thought to have been infected. “The infection has been contained,” he added.
He also said that after the school was shut down, he heard there were cases in the college town. He added that the school had received reports of more than 180 suspected cases within three days.
The Epoch Times had noted a lot of postings on China’s Internet forums about the H1N1 outbreak at the Chinese People's Armed Police Force Academy, but all of them had been removed.
On Sept. 7, an official at Hebei Province Health Department told The Epoch Times that the relevant officials and management staff members at the Health Department are presently in Langfang trying to contain the swine flu outbreak. She added that the swine flu statistics collected by the Hebei Province Health Department do not include data from the Chinese People's Armed Police Force Academy.
According to the official Web site of the Chinese People's Armed Police Force Academy, it is the only diversified college to train future public security officers and Chinese civil police. There are over 6,000 students currently enrolled in the school.
Schools in Langfang College Town are closed for a week
On Sept. 7, an anonymous staff member in Langfang College Town told The Epoch Times that the government had ordered the College Town to close down for a week starting Sept. 5. In other words, all colleges are taking a week off. If the outbreak gets worse, the period will be extended.
He added that the infection rate keeps increasing by the day. According to statistics published by the Health Department, the number of infected individuals is over 70. Those who enter the College Town must have their temperature checked by guards stationed at the door. Those with temperatures above 98.6 F will be quarantined.
The interviewed residents speculated that freshmen from different regions might have been the main carriers of the virus.
Schools located in Langfang College Town include Beijing Fashion Academy, Beijing Economic Technology Academy, China’s Private Air Management College, Beijing Economic and Trade Academy, the Air Service Academy, and others.
The Epoch Times had repeatedly called Langfang Center for Disease Control and Langfang Health Department, but no one answered the phone.
Read the original Chinese article.
