BKK Prep, Message from the Head of School, News, Primary, Secondary, Whole School February 20, 2020

Dear Parents

I hope that you are looking forward to next week’s half-term holidays and I am sure that many of you are planning to visit some exciting destinations. Unfortunately, during the last few months, we have witnessed the spread of the Novel Coronavirus and I hope you agree that we need to be extremely cautious when we are travelling.

The Coronavirus situation continues to evolve rapidly. We reiterate that prevention is key to minimising risk. Regular and thorough hand washing with soap or an alcohol-based gel is key to preventing all infections, and especially important when travelling. Please inform the Primary or Secondary office if you plan to travel to China or have come into contact with people who have recently visited high risk areas.

It is essential that our Bangkok Prep community remains safe and healthy, we have adapted some of our plans until further notice. We have taken the decision to cancel all overnight school trips in Term 2 that involve any interactions with students from other schools. We have also cancelled and adapted any trips which involve students visiting crowded public spaces.

As you may be aware, several other schools have already taken these decisions, making many events no longer viable. We will also be cancelling any large-scale sporting events we are hosting in Term 2 where students are required to fly into Bangkok to attend. This is based on our assessment of the growing number of travel restrictions and advisories in place and our belief that students are best situated with their families during these unpredictable times.

In response to the spread of the coronavirus, some countries have instigated additional travel advisories, which may affect the coverage of your travel insurance. As the virus spreads, some areas may be prohibited which may heighten the possibility of travellers being stranded in these areas. Please check government sources from the places to which you are travelling so you can make informed choices. Note that several countries in Asia such as Thailand, Japan and Singapore are reporting increased cases of Coronavirus.

Please note that it is each family’s responsibility to monitor their child(ren)’s health and get professional medical advice if anyone is unwell. If you must travel to mainland China, or will knowingly come into contact with people returning from there, we ask you to take the additional step of providing a doctor’s note of good health for your child(ren) upon return to school, whether they show symptoms of ill health or not. Symptoms may take up to 14 days from the last point of contact to appear. You may find the The World Health Organization (WHO) link which you may find useful: