Virus warning given to kids after ski trip
School asks parents to keep eye out for symptoms
A school in Perthshire has asked parents of children returning from a ski trip to Italy to closely monitor the health of their children due to fears over the coronavirus.
During the February half term holiday, 33 Morrison’s Academy pupils and six adult chaperones, five of whom are staff at the school, participated in the trip to Passo Tonale in Northern Italy.
To date there have not been any known cases of coronavirus in the vicinity of Passo Tonale, near the Swiss border.
The UK Government is advising anyone coming back from northern Italy since February 19 to stay indoors at home and avoid contact with other people if they have any symptoms, no matter how mild.
The resort is also around two hours drive away from one visited by pupils from a school in England which this week took the decision to close for a day for a deep clean to limit the risk of infection, after some pupils and staff had reportedly been showing mild flulike symptoms.
A further two schools in England have also closed for the rest of the week following visits to Italy, which has seen an outbreak of the deadly virus.
Morrison’s Academy has sent out an email to parents in an attempt to allay fears that pupils are at risk, and is advising vigilance.
A spokesperson for Morrison’s
Academy said: “The pupils and staff all returned to Scotland on Saturday.
“Following Wednesday’s announcement by the British government regarding coronavirus containment and British citizens returning from Italy, Morrison’s Academy relayed a number of messages to the parents of the pupils involved in the trip and to the school’s families as a whole.
“The school issued a message to the families of pupils on the trip asking them to be particularly vigilant.
“Families were requested to monitor the health of their children and family very closely and if they have any concerns or observe even the mildest signs of ill health, to follow the NHS guidance and inform the school.
“Whilst following health guidelines and keeping a proportionate approach, the school also wished to reduce the risk of propagating the virus if, however small the probability, there was a carrier in the school party.
“The school also stressed the importance of having a current, upto-date health status for each member of the party over the next 14 days.”
Symptoms include a cough, shortness of breath or fever.
COVID-19 is a new type of coronavirus and can cause respiratory illness of varying severity, including pneumonia.
There is currently no vaccine and no specific treatment for infection with the virus.
The outbreak had affected over 80,000 people globally.
Families were requested to monitor the health of their children and family very closely