Dear students, parents and guardians

• Lautarfréttir
• 12. mars 2020

Dear students, parents and guardians
Schools are now operating in accordance with their response plans and responding to circumstances in light of the instructions of the Chief Epidemiologist and the Department of Civil Protection. It is important that students, parents and guardians do the same.
Illness We recommend that students who have a fever or symptoms similar to the symptoms of the coronavirus COVID-19 do not attend school while the emergency level of the Department of Civil Protection is in effect.
The main symptoms are: Temperature, coughing, tiredness, muscle and bone aches or headaches. Gastrointestinal symptoms (abdominal pain, nausea/vomiting, diarrhoea) are not common COVID-19 symptoms but have been observed.
It is important to closely monitor the recommendations of the Medical Director of Health, the latest of which may be found on the Director’s website. Instructions for persons at risk of COVID-19 infection were recently issued.
Students in quarantine may continue with their studies to some extent and every effort will made to ensure that such circumstances have as little effect on schooling as possible.
Travel
As definitions of dangerous areas change rapidly, parents and guardians are encouraged to monitor such information specifically and take account of such definitions in their decisions for travel and the appropriate measures to take on returning home.
Information on defined dangerous areas may be found here. If you are returning from overseas and are in doubt as to whether it is necessary to quarantine yourselves, it is important to obtain advice on such matters from healthcare centres or from the duty phone 1700 before a student returns to school.
In other respects, the basic message is as follows:
✓ Hygiene is of the greatest importance: Wash hands thoroughly and often with soap and water. It is a good idea to also use an alcohol-based hand rub if your hands are not visibly dirty.
✓ If you need to cough or sneeze it is better to do so into your elbow or a tissue and not into your hands or into the air.
✓ Take care to touch your face as little as possible with your hands, e.g. eyes, mouth and nose as these are all pathways for the virus to enter your body.
✓ Avoid hugging, kissing and snuggling, smile instead. This enables you to avoid infection and to avoid infecting others.
✓ Avoid close contact with those who are ill.
✓ Remain calm and follow instructions.
It is important that we all stand together in an effort to slow the spread of the virus.

• Síðast uppfært: 12. mars 2020