Increase in infection closes Sark School

PUPILS at Sark School are enjoying an extended summer holiday because of an outbreak of Group A Streptococcal infection.

The school was due to reopen on Wednesday of this week but following advice from Guernsey and UK medical authorities the decision was made not to start lessons until next Monday.

Writing for the Sark Surgery website, Sark's medical officer, Dr Peter Counsell, said that the delay would allow a few more days for outstanding results to come in regarding people being treated for the infection.

The outbreak, the symptoms of which include a fever, sore throat and rash, started last month and on 20 August Dr Counsell wrote that two cases in children had been confirmed.

Two days later he said that four cases had been confirmed and on 26 August he reported that there had been several more.

He said that all were being treated with antibiotics and were expected to make good recoveries. Earlier this week, Dr Counsell said that there had been no new cases and stressed on the surgery website that visitors to the island remain welcome and added that Sark remains open for business as usual.

I understand that with seven cases having been confirmed the decision to delay Sark School's re-opening for a few days is very much a precautionary measure designed to avoid children gathering together and thus perhaps increasing the risk of the infection spreading.

In his latest website posting, Dr Counsell said that the majority of people diagnosed with the infection had mild symptoms only and were recovering well. He added that no one had required hospital treatment.

I always feel for what are loosely termed 'the authorities' at times such as this because it is a difficult task to strike the correct balance, and particularly so in a small community. From what I've seen and read - including notices and medical advice posted on shop and official notice boards - they seem from where I am sitting to have got it just about right.

Perhaps the medical and public health committees (don't ask me why we need both, but that's another story), along with the medical officer, can start evening classes in the autumn for their other Chief Pleas committee colleagues on what keeping the public informed is all about.

Mind you, Chief Pleas committees are not alone in keeping things close to their chest. I understand the Mayor of Carteret and others from that neck of the woods visited Sark recently but, apart from those directly involved, few people knew until they read it in Kevin Delaney's Sark Newsletter. It would have been nice to have interviewed him - or at least had a chat.

There are two big events coming up next weekend - unfortunately both on Saturday 11 September.

The rugby posts will be in place at the Millennium Field where the London Wasps International Legends play a Channel Islands team formed under the auspices of the Wooden Spoon charity and, just like the Lord's Taverners' annual cricket match, this promises to be a Mecca for autograph hunters as well as rugby enthusiasts.

However, although there's a clash of dates, there's nothing to stop sporting enthusiasts from sauntering up to the north end of Sark after the match to sample all that's best in seafood (as well as live music and other activities) at the annual Sark Celebration of The Sea.

That's on from noon until midnight and if previous years' events are anything to go by it promises to be a feast of food and entertainment and well worth a visit.

l The email address for comment is fallesark@sark.net