The University of Kent has cancelled in-person exams amid an outbreak of meningitis in the area that has killed two people.
A student at the university became the first person to die in the recent outbreak, and now a school pupil’s life has also been claimed.
The university said in a statement: “We recognise that this is a very sad and worrying time for our community… There will be no in person assessments or exams this week.”
Tributes have been paid to the Year 13 pupil, named as Juliette, with Amelia McIlroy, headteacher at Queen Elizabeth’s Grammar Faversham, describing her as “a genuinely caring and attentive listener, a true friend”.
The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) confirmed that it had been notified of 13 cases with signs and symptoms of meningitis from Friday to Sunday in Canterbury.
Some students at the university are in hospital, while others have been given antibiotics, and long queues could be seen at one of its buildings on Monday morning as pupils waited for the drugs.
Local nightclub Club Chemistry said it has been contacted by officials to try to trace people who may be affected.
