My daughters School has been brilliant in their advices thus far and the one just received is no exception. They are taking it very seriously and obviously have good policies in place:
We are writing to update you about a number of things in relation to the coronavirus outbreak, now classified as a Pandemic by the WHO. There is a lot of information to cover so we have broken it up into four areas and will send 4 separate updates to make it easier for you to find and digest the information. We will also put this information on our website in the same format.
These four updates will be:
Update 4: How we are managing illness and containing any potential cases of coronavirus, and recommendations if you have someone in your family with compromised health issues.
Update 5: Travel restrictions and how (school name) will manage overseas travel during the Easter holidays.
Update 6: Additional hygiene measures at the School.
Update 7: Teaching and learning plans in the event of a school closure.
Coronavirus (COVID-19) – Update #4
How we are managing illnesses, how we are containing any potential cases of coronavirus and recommendations if you have someone in your family with compromised health issues.
If someone you live with has been in a situation where they may have been exposed to coronavirus and are waiting on blood test results, we request you do the following:
- Advise us as soon as possible via email to (school email address) or telephone (school administrator) on (her mobile).
- All students in this household are to remain at home until the test results come back.
- Home Class Teachers will be in touch with details for continuing lessons from home.
- If test results are negative, students can return to school straight away.
- If test results are positive, Queensland Health will provide you with directions, including testing of your family members. Your children will need to remain at home until cleared by Queensland Health.
We believe taking this approach is necessary as we have a duty of care to all of our students and staff. The clear message from the WHO and other authorities is:
containment is the most effective measure in reducing the spread of coronavirus.
If your child is ill and coronavirus is not suspected:
- If your child displays any of the following symptoms they will need to remain at home until symptoms improve:
- Fever
- Fatigue
- Body aches
- Runny nose
- Cough and sore throat
- If your child has any other cold or flu like illness, other than allergies, they must stay home until they are well.
- If your child has a fever, they cannot return to school until their temperature has returned to normal.
- Please ensure your children are aware of, and practicing, safe coughing etiquette, particularly if they are recovering from a cold or have allergies or sinus:
- Cover coughs and sneezes with a tissue or a bent arm – never hands
- Dispose of tissue immediately
- Wash hands with soap and water or hand sanitiser afterwards
- We are also recommending social distancing, especially when displaying cold and flu like symptoms.
What is social distancing and should we all be doing it?
Social distancing means separating yourself from other people as much as possible without being in quarantine. It has been proven to work effectively and slow down the rate of coronavirus cases in places like China, Japan and South Korea. Social distancing includes:
- avoiding unnecessary large gatherings
- limit contact and exposure to crowded places
- avoiding gatherings in small confined spaces
- keeping a 1.5 metre distance between yourself and others
At (school) we are recommending the following social distancing measures, where possible:
- avoid shaking hands, hugging or kissing other people
- avoid visiting vulnerable people, eg nursing homes, hospitals, babies or those with compromised immune systems.
What if a family member falls into a high-risk category and coronavirus could be life threatening?
We are not health professionals and cannot provide you with any advice on how to manage this, however if your family does fall into this category, we will support you if you want to keep your child at home. We are putting in place a variety of options to allow students to continue classes from home and will provide more detail about this in Update 7 by early next week.
At this stage, unless the school is closed down, these instances will be managed on a case by case basis and we recommend you contact your child’s Home Class Teacher and Year Coordinator to discuss your options as soon as possible.
We thank you for taking the time to read and digest all of this information as we try and keep you alert, but not alarmed. This is unchartered waters for most of us and we understand the many concerns our community members might have. Updates 5, 6 and 7 will be sent to you over the next few days.
As always please feel free to contact us if you have any further concerns.
www.nytimes.com
