Dear Parents,

We have been in communication with ISASA our independent schools association who are keeping us up to date and briefed on the situation with Corona Virus following the confirmation of South Africa’s first confirmed virus case.

The National Institute for Communicable Diseases has confirmed that the patients at high risk are the elderly, the sickly i.e. diabetics, HIV patients and those who are immune compromised.

What are we as a school doing?

1. We are taking all necessary precautions, the Staff and the children are being briefed about the protocols of handwashing and hygiene.

2. We have a trained nursing sister who will be doing a handwashing and hygiene teaching session with all the children.

3. We will also be covering the issues around handshaking and personal space.

4. All handtowels will be removed from our toilets and replaced with individual paper towels to be disposed of in sealed rubbish bins.

5. All classes have been issued with sealed rubbish bins for the disposal of tissue paper.

6. Each class teacher has an alcohol based disinfectant that will be used/sprayed on the children’s hands before and after break time or entry and exit from the classrooms.

7. All desks and classrooms are being disinfected in the afternoons after school has closed.

How can you protect yourself from infection?

The following measures should be practiced:

1. Wash your hands frequently with soap or use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer as recommended by the Centre Disease control.

2. Maintain social distancing – maintain at least 1 metre (3 feet) distance between yourself and other people, particularly those who are coughing, sneezing and have a fever.

3. Avoid touching eyes, nose and mouth. Children to use own personal water bottles.

4. If you have fever, cough and difficulty breathing, inform your health care provider telephonically if you have travelled to an area where 2019-nCoV has been reported most especially, China, Italy, South Korea, Iran and Japan, or if you have been in close contact with someone who has travelled from such an area and who had respiratory symptoms at the time you had contact with them. Your doctor will advise you on how and where to seek medical treatment.

5. If you have mild respiratory symptoms and no travel history to or within an affected area, carefully practice basic respiratory and hand hygiene and stay home until you are recovered.

We are continuing to monitor the situation very carefully in conjunction with ISASA and the relevant authorities and will take the necessary and appropriate steps that would be deemed necessary in the event of the situation deteriorating.

Yours Sincerely

Terry Brauteseth
Headmaster