St Thomas More RC College

A letter from the Headteacher regarding coronavirus written in partnership with Tameside Local Authority.

Dear Parents/Carers
As you may be aware a case of COVID-19 (also known as coronavirus) has been confirmed in Tameside. Clearly this is a concerning time for pupils and parents/carers but I would like to reassure you that our advice is that the risk to the individuals remains low. Tameside Local Authority have also highlighted that it’s important we respect and protect patient confidentiality and that knowing the location of the patient does not change the guidance we should follow.
We have been informed that Public Health England (PHE) have been contacting those who have been in close contact with the Tameside resident and will advise any individuals or workplaces on any action required. Anyone who is not contacted by PHE does therefore not need to take any action at this time other than following the good general hygiene advice at www.nhs.uk/coronavirus
PHE have assessed the risk and confirmed that there is currently no information to suggest that there is any increased health risk to school pupils or staff and no public health reason for any schools to close or for staff/pupils not to attend.
We will of course keep you updated of any changes to the situation or new guidance and advice.
Of those who catch coronavirus, the great majority will have a mild-to-moderate illness – similar to flu. However, we do need to protect ourselves and our community – particularly older people and those with pre-existing health conditions. A simple and effective way to protect yourself and others from coronavirus is by making sure you wash your hands frequently with soap and water for at least 20 seconds. If you are unwell make sure you catch your coughs and sneezes in a tissue, throw the tissues away, then wash your hands.
For those that think they might have coronavirus, have been to a country or area with a high risk of coronavirus, or been in close contact with someone with coronavirus, advice is to please use the NHS 111 online coronavirus service www.111.nhs.uk/covid-19 . If they need to speak to someone call NHS 111 – please don’t go to your doctor, pharmacist or hospital as you could pass the infection to others.
You will also find plenty of advice and guidance online at www.nhs.uk/coronavirus

Forthcoming School Trips
As you may be aware we have a number of trips scheduled for the coming weeks including residential trips to France and Germany. In light of the coronavirus cases within the UK and other countries within Europe we are monitoring the advice from the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and the Department for Education regarding the status of any planned school trips or activities.
Currently the advice is that school trips should go ahead as planned and there are no travel restrictions in place for travel to Germany or France. We are aware of the recent advice regarding travel to Italy but as this trip is scheduled for much later in the year we are monitoring the situation for this trip along with the travel provider.
Please be rest assured that the health and safety of our students and staff is our absolute top priority and we will be guided by this principle when considering if trips should continue to go ahead as planned based on the best information that is available at the time.
As the situation is developing on a daily basis we are aware the guidance has the potential to change very rapidly so we will remain vigilant in the coming days and weeks so can act accordingly for the best interests of all the members of our community.
Yours sincerely
Mr H Brophy
Headteacher

A copy of this letter is also available to download here.