The ship was to bring back the teachers and other remaining students to their home islands where they will begin classes for school year 2009-2010.
The teachers came to Yap during the summer to upgrade their teaching skills in both academic and vocational trades.
Yap’s decision to delay the ship came following a meeting on Monday with the H1N1 Task Force, which recommended that the ship be delayed in order to prevent the possible spread of the pandemic influenza to the neighboring islands of Yap.
To date, there are four confirmed cases of H1N1 in Yap along with two new admissions at the state hospital also suspected of the H1N1 Virus.
These two new admissions have been confined by the Department of Health Services.
The task force committee said places like the FSM or Yap will find it very difficult to control the spread once a local outbreak occurs on the islands.
The committee also advised that residents of remote areas like are always very vulnerable during times of influenza outbreak mainly because of their remote locations, lack of professional care and medical supplies and lack of public awareness program.
In its latest report update, the Department of Health Services strongly recommended several measures to be taken to protect the neighboring islands.
The first one would be to delay the opening of all schools in the islands for the fall semester, and the second is to delay the departure of the ship for at least three-weeks.
Members of the task force, including officials from Health Services, hope this new schedule would allow time for physicians to prepare a team along with related medical supplies for combating the H1N1 virus to be sent to all the islands.
