Kia ora parents and whānau. As you will have seen in the media, the situation is rapidly evolving internationally concerning the Coronavirus.

This is a new virus and its specific nature is currently unclear, but it appears that you can have the virus at an early stage and not be showing any symptoms. This incubation period is currently considered to be 14 days.

Obviously, we need to err on the side of caution. We are receiving updates from the Ministry of Education and we are taking the following steps:

1. We ask that any staff member or student, who may be at high risk of exposure because they have recently been to China or have been in close contact with someone confirmed with the virus, delay the start of their school year for 14 days and voluntarily stay away.

2. If any of our staff or students are unwell and suspected of having an infectious disease, we will ask them stay away from school for the infectious period of the disease (Section 19 Education Act).

3. We will keep the parents and wider school community fully informed at all times.

See below for helpful information on Coronavirus:

If parents have a particular concern about any child, they should contact Healthline at 0800 611 116 or their GP for medical advice. Healthline has translators and interpreters available 24/7 in 150 languages and they do have Mandarin and Cantonese speaking staff available.

You can also contact your local District Health Board if you require further information – Public Health Unit Contacts https://govt.us3.list-manage.com/track/click?u=2f59fcd18a691d315b5a045cb&id=bc93b24dcf&e=8f60c66299

Current travel information – please do continue to refer to the Ministry of Health’s information page on their website. It will be updated as new information comes to hand. Novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV) guidance – Ministry of Health website https://govt.us3.list-manage.com/track/click?u=2f59fcd18a691d315b5a045cb&id=3ef26096ef&e=8f60c66299

Regards

Dave Thorp
Rector
Timaru Boys' High School