COVID-19 Updates 25th and 26th February

COVID-19 Updates 25th and 26th February

More locations added to quarantine list


Dear Parents,

The situation with COVID-19 (Coronavirus) is fluid and we can expect more advisories in the coming days or weeks. Please be cautious with upcoming travel to destinations outside Thailand to prevent being put into a quarantine situation, which would prevent your child(ren) from returning to school.  

Iran and Italy – from 26th February
Today the Thai Government has added Iran and Italy to the list of high-risk countries. If you or a member of your family has travelled from / transited through or been in close contact with someone who has travelled from / transited through these two countries from noon on Wednesday 26th February, you are subject to a 14-day self-quarantine.

Malaysia and Vietnam – from 24th February
There was an update yesterday (24th February) from the Thai Government to include Malaysia and Vietnam to the list of high-risk countries. If you or a member of your family has travelled from / transited through or been in close contact with someone who has travelled from / transited through these two countries from noon on Monday 24th February, you are subject to a 14-day self-quarantine.

Mainland China, Hong Kong, Macau, Taiwan, South Korea, Singapore and Japan – from 21st February
The Thai Government listed travel from /transit through these countries in their initial announcement as requiring a 14-day self-quarantine. If you or a member of your family has travelled from / transited through or been in close contact with someone who has travelled from / transited through these countries since noon on Friday 21st February, you are subject to a 14-day self-quarantine.

The specific requirements of self-quarantine can be found in the FAQs here.

SONGKRAN HOLIDAY and MAY LONG WEEKEND
Our primary concern is to ensure that school continues as normally as possible for your child(ren). Therefore, we suggest that:

  • For the Songkran holiday and the long weekend in May, we suggest you avoid travelling to high-risk countries. This will include any countries added to the list by the date of your travel/return. If you do visit one of these countries, your child(ren) will be subject to a 14-day self-quarantine. 
  • Be cognisant that as the situation evolves, other countries may be added to the high-risk country list. In the event you have travelled from / transited through one of these other countries, your child(ren) will be subject to a 14-day self-quarantine.
  • Equally, your family should not come into close contact with people who have travelled from / transited through these countries within 14 days prior to your contact with them or your child(ren) will be subject to the quarantine.
  • Our advice would be to take Songkran holidays in Thailand if at all possible.

This is particularly applicable for those families who have (a) child(ren) about to undertake the (I)GCSE or IB exams where dates are set externally.

SUMMER HOLIDAYS
We remain hopeful that the COVID-19 situation will dissipate over the next few months. However, we would like you to please consider the following points with regards to planning for summer holidays:

  • If you are travelling outside of Thailand, please ensure you have a flexible return date;
  • Avoid visiting any of the high-risk countries listed by Thai Government;
  • Be cognisant that as the situation evolves, other countries may be added to the quarantine list.
  • You may need to adjust your return date to ensure your family can clear any quarantine requirements before the commencement of term. Your child(ren) will not be able to return to school until the quarantine has been fulfilled.

Please support our community by not sharing unsubstantiated rumours that may circulate on social media.

We are fully aware that this challenging situation is frustrating and stressful. As a team we have direct experience dealing with crisis situations. We are confident that we will get through this period; we just have to be patient and be positive in the way we support the children.

We will continue to update you as appropriate.

Best wishes,

Senior Leadership Team
Bangkok Patana School

Useful links for information on the spread of Coronavirus:

School updates on COVID-19 virus: https://www.patana.ac.th/covid-19-advisory/

https://gisanddata.maps.arcgis.com/apps/opsdashboard/index.html#/bda7594740fd40299423467b48e9ecf6

https://www.who.int/emergencies/diseases/novel-coronavirus-2019/advice-for-public

https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/index.html

The information in this post is valid for the date posted above. Our curriculum and policies are dynamic. For up-to-date information, please contact the school directly.