The following is a statement from the Honourable Brian Warr, Minister of Education and Early Childhood Development:

The Department, along with our colleagues at the Newfoundland and Labrador English School District (NLESD), have been closely monitoring developments related to COVID-19 and student travel plans. Last week, NLESD cancelled tours planned for Northern Italy. The district has now extended cancellations to all European destinations until the end of April.

This is a difficult but necessary decision, which I fully support, to protect students and staff from risk of exposure and the possibility of quarantine while overseas, or self-quarantine upon their return to the province. The department and district continue to monitor other planned tours and these may also be cancelled as the situation evolves.

We appreciate the continued advice and collaboration from our provincial public health officials, including the province’s Chief Medical Officer of Health, who supports a low-risk approach.

We are also working with the school districts and public health officials to raise awareness about the importance of proper hygiene and handwashing practices to help reduce the risk of transmission. While there have been no reported cases of the virus in our province to date, we must be prepared.

Information will be distributed to schools and there is information specifically on hygiene available on the Department of Health and Community’s website. I encourage parents to review this information and to discuss hygiene practices with their children.

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Media contact
Tina Coffey
Education and Early Childhood Development
709-729-1906, 687-9903
tcoffey@gov.nl.ca