Coronavirus: DfE Advice for Schools, Parents & Carers

The following advice has been forwarded to The Department for Education by Public Health England:

We are continuing to keep you updated on the government’s response to COVID-19 (Coronavirus). Public Health England advises that the risk to individuals in the UK remains low.

General Advice

Encouraging good hygiene

As always, if you have symptoms of a cold or flu, then there are measures you can take to stop germs:

·always carry tissues with you and use them to catch your cough or sneeze. Then bin the tissue, and wash your hands, or use a sanitiser gel.

·wash your hands often with soap and water, especially after using public transport. Use a sanitiser gel if soap and water are not available.

·avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth with unwashed hands.

·avoid close contact with people who are unwell.

Advice for those who have travelled recently

The Chief Medical Advisor for England, Chris Whitty has updated advice for travellers returning to the UK from specific areas affected by COVID-19, which you can find at:

https://www.gov.uk/coronavirus

If you have returned from the following specific areas since 19th February, you should call NHS 111 and stay indoors and avoid contact with other people even if you do not have symptoms:

Iran
Specific lockdown areas in Northern Italy (see link to maps below)
Special care zones in South Korea (see link to maps below)
Hubei province (returned in the past 14 days – see link to maps below)

If you have returned from the following areas since 19 February and develop symptoms, however mild, you should stay indoors at home and avoid contact with other people immediately and call NHS 111:

Northern Italy (defined by a line above, and not including, Pisa, Florence and Rimini – see link to maps below)
Vietnam
Cambodia
Laos
Myanmar

If you have a cough, or fever or shortness of breath and have visited any of the following areas in the last 14 days, stay indoors and call NHS 111 informing them of your recent travel:

China, apart from Hubei province (see link to maps below)
Thailand
Japan
Republic of Korea, apart from special care zones (see link to maps below)
Hong Kong
Taiwan
Singapore
Malaysia
Macau

Maps showing affected regions of China, Republic of Korea and Italy

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/covid-19-specified-countries-and-areas

Advice for those who have travelled recently in a group, such as a school trip

There is no need to manage returning groups any differently. Pupils, students and staff returning from trips to the countries specified above should follow the same advice.

Public Health England blog:
https://publichealthmatters.blog.gov.uk/2020/01/23/wuhan-novel-coronavirus-what-you-need-to-know/

Guidance for educational settings
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/guidance-to-educational-settings-about-covid-19