Coronavirus: Whanganui principals reassure community with precautions
As international students travelling from areas affected by coronavirus prepare to touch down Whanganui, secondary school principals are advising the community there is no need to be alarmed.
Whanganui High School principal Martin McAllen has informed his school that its international department has students who have arrived, or are about to arrive, from countries that have small numbers of people who have contracted the virus.
"We are following guidelines from the ministries of education and health with regards to the health of our students and staff and we are ready to adapt our precautions if the seriousness of the situation develops further."
He said he was very happy with the robust precautions that have been put in place by the school's international team and they would continue to monitor closely the health of international students.
"We are ready to adapt our precautions if the seriousness of the situation develops further."
McAllen has been advised by the Whanganui District Health Board that most cases inside and outside China have been connected to Wuhan and high-risk exposure only applied to people who have been in Wuhan within the last 14 days.
Anyone else travelling from China should be aware of the symptoms but is not required to stay away from school unless they are sick, he said.
Whanganui Collegiate School headmaster Wayne Brown said families have been asked to advise the school if they have travelled to, or have visitors from, affected areas.
Brown said staff at the school's boarding houses, residential staff, health centre and international department are fully aware of the situation and will continue to work together.
New Zealand International Commercial Pilot Academy chief operating officer, Tania King, said they were expecting a number of Indian international students to arrive in Whanganui in February but no students from any of the high-risk areas in China.
"Obviously we do have a high number of international students that come through our academy and so we are just taking the advice from the Ministry of Health and have put in place precautionary measures," King said.
UCOL Whanganui campus manager Bronwyn Paul said they do not have any international students arriving at their campus from any affected areas. Whanganui medical officer of health Patrick O'Connor said generally the whole country was on heightened alert but it was an alert rather than an alarm.
"There are cases outside Wuhan but the significant transmission of infection is mainly Wuhan so I'm a bit concerned that everyone is worried about travel from all of China and I think that's a little excessive at the moment."
The Ministry of Education urges anyone with a particular concern about the health of any child, student or staff member to contact Healthline on 0800 611 116 or their GP for medical advice.
Lucy Drake
Whanganui Chronicle 30/1/20
