Updated
May 18, 2003
The SARS connection
Owen our youngest at 18, decided to spend a gap in China - he left at the beginning of March for a 3 month placement teaching in a school just outside Bejing.
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The first reported case of SARS (Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome) broke the news in early April and were linked with Hong Kong, Singapore, Canada & China (particularly Guangdong province in southern China)
The map below from the Lonley Planet Website clearly shows Beijing - formerly Peking which is an epicentre for the virus - Owen was in a school about 15 miles away - but on Wednesday 23rd the school was closed along with much of Beijing and basically the Gap students were asked to leave, most internet cafes are closed and his main contact now is by telephone.
Owen and 4 fellow gap student/teachers have decided to remain in China and are travelling north west in the country towards Kashgar the most westerly city in China, before heading back to Beijing to fly home on the 1st of May.
They are avoiding main cities and wearing masks when in public. They are currently in Yinchuan and will head north towards Turpan and Urumqi before travelling towards Kashgar.
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