‘it’s Like Covid Ii’: Canterbury’s Student Hangouts Left Empty By Meningitis Scare

At The Cricketers pub successful nan centre of Canterbury, unit had been geared up for lively St Patrick’s Day celebrations. The pub’s “Paddy shots” were connected offer: 2 for £7. Irish euphony played successful nan background. But, connected Tuesday lunchtime, location were fewer revellers.

“Normally, arsenic soon arsenic nan doors unfastened connected St Patrick’s Day, we’re full,” said nan manager, Ash Bolonghe, casting his limb astir nan near-empty pub, pinch only a fistful of matinee theatre-goers sitting by nan model for a pre-performance snack. “But not today.”

His barroom staff, pinch masks and sanitiser to hand, had that greeting gone to adjacent Westgate Hall, 1 of 4 venues successful nan municipality group up to administer emergency precautionary antibiotics successful nan midst of the meningitis outbreak, pinch 11,000 doses said to beryllium disposable successful nan municipality crossed nan sites.

Ash Bolonghe, nan head of The Cricketers pub successful Canterbury. Photograph: Jill Mead/The Guardian

Further on nan precocious street, it was a akin story. Another barroom and unrecorded euphony venue was wholly empty, its unit busily cleaning doorway handles and array tops. It had besides expected to beryllium busy, chiefly pinch students aliases adjacent agency workers who regularly popular successful for lunch.

Many of those students had left. At nan University of Kent, wherever 1 of nan 2 who died was a student, nan field appeared eerily quiet. The immense queues connected Monday for masks and antibiotics astatine its Senate building had dwindled to a fistful connected Tuesday. While those astatine its halls of residence are to beryllium offered nan meningitis B vaccine, arsenic announced by nan wellness secretary, Wes Streeting, and pinch in-person assessments cancelled and exams now moved to online, galore had packed up early for Easter.

Most wearing masks, they could beryllium seen trundling their suitcases on nan precocious thoroughfare headed for nan town’s 2 train stations. The exodus, however, pinch galore utilizing nationalist transport, whitethorn lead to concerns of nan outbreak further spreading.

“Many of nan students look to person left,” said Bolonghe. His friend employs 15 students astatine a section java shop, he said, but each of them had now gone.

“It’s for illustration Covid II,” said 1 female University of Kent student, 24, who did not wish to beryllium named. “A batch of students person left. Three of my housemates person already gone.”

“I deliberation group are little panicked than pinch Covid, because we’ve been done this before. And everyone is utilized to online exams now,” she added. “So group are calmer. But cipher is going out. It’s really, really quiet.” She had taken precautionary antibiotics astatine nan Westgate Hall centre aft seeing nan immense queues connected Monday astatine nan assemblage “and I was worried astir catching thing successful nan queue”.

A pop-up session astatine Canterbury’s Westgate Hall is offering antibiotics for anyone worried they whitethorn person an infection. Photograph: Jill Mead/The Guardian

Stephen, 24, was astatine Westgate Hall having been advised to get antibiotics aft attending nan Club Chemistry venue pinch activity colleagues connected 1 of nan 3 nights earlier this month, 5, 6 and 7 March, that person been linked to nan outbreak.

“I publication it successful nan news, and past nighttime they said they urge group to travel successful for nan antibiotic,” he said. “We each decided to come, conscionable to beryllium safe. I’ve sewage to return it seriously.” He added that he thought group could person been informed earlier, arsenic he revisited nan nine nan pursuing weekend, which he would not person done had he been warned.

Club Chemistry successful Canterbury is now believed to beryllium wherever nan infections were first spread. Photograph: Jill Mead/The Guardian

Roland Cobbett, 66, a interrogator successful archeology, had sought antibiotics arsenic a precaution arsenic he utilized nan University of Kent room and cafe. “It’s amended to beryllium safe than sorry,” he said. He described nan swift mounting up of nan antibiotic clinics arsenic “absolutely brilliant”.

Apart from students, however, fewer were wearing masks arsenic group went astir regular life connected nan town’s precocious street. Lunchtime footfall astatine immoderate of nan main restaurants did look low, but group were still sitting extracurricular successful nan sunshine, enjoying a pint aliases a coffee.

On nan Canterbury Residents Facebook group, worried parents queried whether they should return their children retired of school. There were besides calls for a petition to widen nan vaccination programme locally beyond nan student halls of residence.

Pauline, 72, a retired tech analyst, said: “I’ve been to nan supermarket twice. I’m not successful a unsighted panic. I don’t deliberation this is arsenic scary arsenic Covid.” Footfall was quieter than accustomed successful nan town, she said, but she could good understand nan concern. “Everybody knows that each nan kids congregate astatine Chemistry.”

Those who attended Club Chemistry tin cod antibiotics from: nan Gate Clinic astatine Kent and Canterbury hospital; Westgate Hall connected Westgate Hall Road successful Canterbury; nan Thanet Community Health Hub connected Northwood Road successful Broadstairs; and nan Senate building astatine nan University of Kent.