Ysgol Friars in Bangor have contacted parents to allay fears about Coronavirus, following a school ski trip in northern Italy during half term.

 

 

280 people have tested positive for novel Coronavirus, covid-19, in Italy and seven people have died. Around 12 towns in northern Italy have been quarantined in an attempt to stop the spread of the disease.

The Ysgol Friars trip was not in the quarantine areas, but the school have contacted Public Health Wales and the NHS for advice.

The government advice regarding changed this morning to include northern Italy with different advice for certain quarantine areas and areas outside the quarantined towns.

The school have now asked those that were on the trip with even the mildest symptoms (cough, difficulty breathing, fever) to go home and call NHS direct on 0845 46 47.

Deputy Headteacher at Ysgol Friars, David Healy, said: “I would like to stress that there has been no confirmed case of COVID-19 amongst the school population, but we wish to be cautious and follow the latest advice.”

The Year 9 Parent’s Evening planned for tonight (25 February) will go ahead as planned, but the school have requested that any parent or student that has been to an ‘infected area’ to stay away, in accordance with government advice.

The NHS says the symptoms of Covid-19, the illness caused by the Coronavirus, are a cough, a high temperature and shortness of breath – but they could also indicate other common illnesses such as a cold or flu.

The Headteacher at Ysgol Friars released a statement this evening, which read: “Ysgol Friars continues to follow advice from the Welsh Government and Public Health Wales which is to encourage anyone who has visited Wuhan province or the quarantine areas around Milan and Venice in Italy and anyone who has flu-like symptoms and who has visited one of the  small number of other affected areas to self-quarantine.

 “A group of pupils from Ysgol Friars attended a school ski trip to near the Italy-Switzerland border over the half-term break. This was not in a Covid-19 quarantine areas. While we have no member of the school community with the virus, Ysgol Friars has taken the precautionary measure of advising anyone who was on this trip and develops even the mildest symptoms (cough, difficulty breathing, fever) to stay at home and contact NHS direct on 0845 46 47. Public Health Wales confirm that our approach is correct and a sensible precaution.

“No guidance has been issued to schools that they should close and we think it is important to strike a balance between  precautions and over-reaction. It does no service to create panic and distress among parents and pupils by going way beyond medical advice and we are pleased that the huge majority of parents appear to share this view.

“As a matter of course, the Council’s Education Department circulates any updated government guidance regarding Covid-19 to all Gwynedd schools.”

For the latest government advice on Coronavirus please visit the website here: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/wuhan-novel-coronavirus-information-for-the-public