At least two high schools on P.E.I. have altered upcoming international travel plans in light of the coronavirus situation, says the director of the Public Schools Branch.
Parker Grimmer said Wednesday that both schools were scheduled to head to Italy this year but have changed plans due to the fact that a travel advisory has been issued for the country due to the coronavirus (COVID-19 strain).
Another Island high school is sending a group of students to Spain in June but that country isn’t on any travel advisory lists.
“We follow any outright restricted travel by the federal government through their travel advisories so the Public Schools Branch isn’t recommending anything on its own, we’re just following the travel advisories that are there,’’ Grimmer said. “The travel companies are also following that very closely.’’
Jean Doherty, spokeswoman with the Department of Education, said at least one of the two schools that had planned to visit Italy now plans on heading to Switzerland and Austria.
“(The Public Schools Branch) makes decisions to approve or disapprove of those trips based on several criteria and the two big ones are safety and education,’’ Doherty said.
School trips, whether domestic or international, get approved by the branch or the French language school board. When a school makes a travel request, they are assessed based on whether it makes educational sense and if it’s safe. Fundraising, if necessary, can’t happen until a trip is approved.
Two years ago, some Island high schools saw trips to Europe cancelled after a volcanic eruption impacted flights.
“So, it could be about safety related to health or safety related to some condition in the world or it may even be political unrest in a particular country,’’ Grimmer said. “We also advise that cancellation may occur without much notice.’’
The director said in any situation around school trips, all of the partners work together, including the tour providers, on contingency plans should any circumstance arise.
And, like any trip, cancellation insurance is recommended, he noted.
If plans change or trips are cancelled, Grimmer said a number of options could play out, including a refund, if there was cancellation insurance, going to another location or issuing a voucher to use on a future trip.
Grimmer said it’s also important to point out that things continue to evolve with COVID-19 so conversations with government and health authorities will continue.
“We appreciate that parents are coming together to have these conversations with their schools. If somebody does have a question or a concern then we would encourage them to reach out to their school administration.’’
Following are the countries listed by the chief public health office on P.E.I. of areas affected by COVID-19:
- China (mainland)
- Hong Kong
- Iran
- Italy
- Japan
- Singapore
- South Korea
