Release:

Dear Families,

We recognize that international travel provides a valuable educational experience for students. However, we also know that the public health situation involving COVID-19 is evolving at a rapid pace.

Given the importance of the well-being and safety of our students and chaperones, the Halifax Regional Centre for Education has made the difficult decision to cancel all school-organized student trips to international destinations between now and the end of April.

Based on discussions with Dr. Robert Strang, Nova Scotia’s Chief Medical Officer of Health, we decided the best approach is a low-risk one, given that students are involved.

I appreciate how disappointing this decision is for everyone. If you were participating in a school-organized international trip in March or April, your school will be in touch with you with more information.

If you are participating in a school-organized trip to an international destination in May or June, no decision has been made related to cancellation. Our Regional Centre for Education will continue to monitor the situation and, after consulting with public health officials, we will provide further direction by April 9.

For those families travelling during March Break, we encourage you to monitor existing Government of Canada travel advisories – https://www.canada.ca/en/public-health/services/diseases/2019-novel-coronavirus-infection/latest-travel-health-advice.html – to guide your decision-making.

Public Health officials also recommend you follow prevention tips for the cold and flu season, which include the following:

• wash your hands frequently with soap and water or use hand sanitizer
• cough or sneeze into your elbow or a tissue (throw the tissue away)
• limit contact with others when you’re sick
• limit touching your eyes, nose, and mouth
• don’t share items that may have saliva on them like utensils and bottles/glasses

More information about COVID-19 is also available on the Government of Nova Scotia website at https://novascotia.ca/coronavirus/

We appreciate that this situation is evolving. Our commitment is to keep you informed throughout the school year.

Sincerely,

Elwin LeRoux,
Regional Executive Director of Education