Rhodes University has closed its Health Suite and suspended all sporting activities with immediate effect due to concerns relating to "flu and related illness".
Roger Adams, the Head of Sport at Rhodes, circulated a notice to university staff and students this morning with the announcement.
The notice read:
Rhodes University has closed its Health Suite and suspended all sporting activities with immediate effect due to concerns relating to "flu and related illness".
Roger Adams, the Head of Sport at Rhodes, circulated a notice to university staff and students this morning with the announcement.
The notice read:
"There has been an unprecedented occurrence of flu and related illness across Grahamstown over the last few days. Affected persons are at very high risk when doing strenuous exercise. The student who died at the University of
Stellenbosch last week apparently took part in rugby shortly beforehand. Consequently, the university is declaring a restriction on all sporting activity with immediate effect.
This includes all matches, practices and all the activities of the Health Suite. The situation will be reassessed by next Tuesday 11 August. It is expected that the spread of this particular viral strain will have abated in Grahamstown by next week.
We understand the inconvenience that this will cause many people, but I trust that everyone can understand that the measure is in the best interest of people’s health and safety."
This development comes less than a month after two Rhodes students were diagnosed with swine flu after returning from a sports tour in Gauteng.
Read more about swine flu in Grahamstown.
