A CRICKET game between two Dorset private schools was cancelled when they clashed over how to respond to the Sars virus.
The match between Canford school, Winbourne, and King’s college in Taunton last Saturday was called off because Canford had refused to quarantine pupils who had been to south east Asia.
Chris Ramsey, head of King’s, said he was “disappointed” to cancel the match between 13-year-olds but could not risk pupils’ health “This virus is contagious and you don’t know if you’ve got it,” he said.
“Someone from south east Asia could have infected a cricketer, who could have infected one of our pupils. I hope to play the game later in the term.”
At King’s, 12 pupils were asked not to attend school for 10 days, the period experts say it takes to be sure a person is not infected.
John Lever, head of Canford, defended his decision not to quarantine three pupils returning from south east Asia. He said he was following government guidelines.
“I was disappointed King’s cancelled the game, but I can understand the decision,” he said.
Rachel Lewis, a Barnet special needs co-ordinator, has been banned from returning to school for 10 days after she travelled to Sars-hit Toronto, Canada.
