Swim schools concerned about Coronavirus

January 29, 2020

Having been contacted by a number of swim school operators about the Coronavirus and attendance at their facilities, the Australian Swim Schools Association (ASSA) has provided information to assist teachers and manages in determining appropriate action to take.

In a post, the Association advises “ASSA recommends you consult your state's department of health website to check their position.

“Of value would be how that state's education department is interpreting (their) position in term of attendance at preschools, schools etc - given the similarities with a swim school.”

ASSA also refer to a letter sent to parents with children at a Sydney private school:

"Dear ..... Community

The .... has received several enquiries regarding regarding the outbreak of Coronavirus in China and the implications this may have for the .... community.

We have sought the Department of Health's (Australian Government) advice on how best to ensure the safety of students and staff in the current circumstances. The advice given is that the Australian Government have well-established procedures to ensure people with illnesses travelling into the country are detected. (Ross: we know this is not 100% effective though.)

It is very early in their understanding of the outbreak and, as such, the .... believes that the best form of managing any potential health risk to our community is to request the following:

If your family has recently visited China (including Hong Kong), we ask that you refrain from sending your child(ren) to school until they have received a medical clearance from a doctor.

If you have not visited China during the holidays, you should feel confident to send your child to school, unless they have any flu-like symptoms, in which case, as with any other virus, you should keep your child at home until the symptoms have cleared.

The School will continue to monitor this situation closely. Should the State or Commonwealth governments issue new guidelines, we will take action and advise you."

General information from the Australian Government on the Coronavirus, released today can be seen at www.health.gov.au/health-topics/novel-coronavirus-2019-ncov

Image shows the Coronavirus magnified under a microscope.

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