Home / Home / Girl dies at school where pupils were banned from going home because of coronavirus

Girl dies at school where pupils were banned from going home because of coronavirus

A schoolgirl has been found dead at a boarding school where Chinese pupils were told they could not go home over fears about coronavirus.

Hei Tung Chan, known as Joy, was among dozens of pupils from Hong Kong being taught at Haberdashers’ Monmouth School for Girls in South Wales.

Joy, 18, died at Nevill Hall Hospital in Abergavenny, Wales, four days after she was found in her bedroom by a teacher.

She was taken to an intensive care unit where she was declared brain-stem dead, an inquest into her death has heard.

Headmistress at the £33,500-a-year school, Jessica Miles said: ‘We are deeply saddened by the death of one of our students.

‘Hei Tung Chan (Joy) was a lovely, warm, talented part of our school community and she will be sorely missed by us all. We extend our heartfelt condolences to her parents and family, and we are supporting them at this tragic time.

‘We are offering pastoral care to our pupils and have professional counsellors on hand to help them come to terms with this devastating loss.’

Gwent Coroner Caroline Saunders said that Ms Chan’s organs were donated. The inquest into her death has been adjourned until September 11.

School Principal James Murphy-O’Connor had warned earlier this month that they won’t be allowed to return home from Wales over half-term over coronavirus fears.

He said: ‘As a family of schools, we have been monitoring the virus in China very closely.

‘We are supporting all of our overseas children and parents at this difficult time, when there is still so much uncertainty about possible international travel restrictions to contain the spread of the virus.’

According to a 2014 report, Haberdashers’ had 709 pupils with 10 per cent coming from abroad – the majority from Hong Kong.

Chinese students at the school will stay with ‘guardians’ in the UK or at Haberdashers’ boarding.

About talkagblog

x

Check Also

Tunisia sentences 4 to d3ath over politician assassination

A Tunisian court delivered a verdict on Wednesday, condemning four individuals to ...