Before we cancelled a trip because of China's overdramatization of the swine flu threat, we were scheduled to land in China at 11:10 U.S. EDT tomorrow. We decided to cancel on the last day of June, and I've been deathly afraid that in the intervening two and a half weeks the Chinese authorities would pack up their hazmat suits at passport control and call the whole thing off. Here is some cold comfort, all from today's papers:
POWELL, Wyo. (AP) ― A mother and daughter from northern Wyoming say they spent lots of time doing origami and playing cards while quarantined in a Chinese hotel room for six days because of a swine flu scare.
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MEDFORD, OR -- Three St. Mary's School students and a chaperone have been quarantined in Beijing until Chinese health officials can confirm they don't have swine flu, school officials reported.
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CHANDLER, AZ -- When she arrived to take a group of travel professionals on a Tour of China in early July, people in suits started boarding Dianna’s United Airlines flight to take the temperature of every passenger.
Dianna, who doesn't want to reveal her last name said they were wearing, "Full suits, space suits with the goggles and the whole thing."
She said she passed so she was able to leave the plane.
But two days later, the Chandler woman said the people in suits showed up at her hotel to take her into quarantine.
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