Following my decision to keep Hilbre High School open following the February half-term, I am closely following all advice from the Government and Public Health England.

This morning (26/02/20), on Radio 4, the Medical Director of Public Health England, Paul Cosford stated about schools for whom there have been trips to similar areas as our ski trip (which is classed as a Category 2 specified country/area), ‘our general advice is not to close schools.’The Government website is very clear. The Government has published a document titled Covid 19: Guidance for Educational Settings, which can be found at:
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/guidance-to-educational-settings-about-covid-19
This document states:
What to do if a pupil, student or staff member has travelled from a Category 2 specified country/area in the last 14 days:
If they are currently well:

• they are advised to self-isolate only if they develop symptoms
• they can continue to attend work or education
• they do not need to avoid contact with other people
• their family do not need to take any precautions or make any changes to their own activities
• testing people with no symptoms for COVID-19 is currently not recommended
• it is useful to always take a mobile phone with them when they go out so that they can contact others if they do become unwell

My decision, following the current advice, is that the school will remain open and there is no reason to send students home.
Following yesterday’s letter explaining our situation, we have been contacted by a number of you, asking for further information specific to the ski trip. The trip went to Folgarida in the very north of Italy, designated as a category 2 area.  Students left on the 13th February and arrived home on the 23rd.

Some of you are rightly enquiring what we are doing as a school to minimise any risk of Coronavirus. Hand sanitizers have been ordered to go all around the school. Students are being instructed, today, about the need to be thorough with their hygiene, wash their hands, cover their mouths when coughing and sneezing, etc. They are all being shown a video produced by the NHS about good hygiene and awareness of Coronavirus symptoms.

Please be aware that we have been in contact with the parents/carers of the students who went on the trip to Italy and have spoken to the students - we have made it abundantly clear that if there is any suspicion of symptoms presenting, students must stay off school and the school must be notified. We have also insisted that they follow the advice given by NHS111.

I am following all advice given by the relevant bodies at regional and national level and currently see no reason to close, given this advice.  I am confident our actions are appropriate to the situation at present.

I am, of course conscious of your concerns and will do nothing that would put at risk students or staff.   Please be assured that I will make immediate contact, should the situation change.   

Yours sincerely,

Mark Bellamy - Headteacher