Pre-holiday Coronavirus Update
Updated information before the half-term holidays.
Dear Parents and Staff,
Before you go off on your half-term holidays, I wanted to remind you to be vigilant in keeping you and your family safe and healthy.
In my previous letter, I asked families to contact the school (primary@patana.ac.th or secondary@patana.ac.th) if they plan to travel to mainland China or come into contact with people who have recently been there.
The Coronavirus situation continues to evolve rapidly. We reiterate that prevention is key to minimising risk. Regular and thorough hand washing with soap or an alcohol-based gel is key to preventing all infections, and especially important when travelling.
Today we have taken the decision to cancel all overnight school trips in Term 2 that involve any interactions with students from other schools. As you may be aware several other schools have already taken these decisions, making many events no longer viable. We will also be cancelling any large-scale sporting events we are hosting in Term 2 where students are required to fly into Bangkok to attend. This is based on our assessment of the growing number of travel restrictions and advisories in place and our belief that students are best situated with their families during these quickly changing times.
As well, please note some countries have instigated travel advisories, which may affect the coverage of your travel insurance. As the virus spreads, areas may be closed off which may heighten the possibility of travellers being stranded in these areas. Please check government sources from the places to which you are travelling so you can make informed choices. Note that several countries in Asia such as Thailand, Japan and Singapore are reporting increased cases of Coronavirus.
Please note that it is each family’s responsibility to monitor their child(ren)’s health and get medical advice if anyone is unwell. If you must travel to mainland China, or will knowingly come into contact with people returning from there, we ask you to take the additional step of providing a doctor’s note of good health for your child(ren) on return to school, whether they show symptoms of ill health or not. This may take up to 14 days from the last point of contact.
The following information is from the World Health Organization (WHO) which you may find useful:
https://www.who.int/emergencies/diseases/novel-coronavirus-2019/advice-for-public
I hope you have a safe, restful holiday and look forward to seeing you back in school on 17th February.
Best regards,
Matt Mills
Head of School
