Coronavirus: school staff and pupils asked to stay at home if they have travelled to China

Pupils and staff at schools across the UAE must stay at home for two weeks if they or any members of their family travelled to China in the last 14 days, a government circular said. The move is the latest measure to be put in place by the UAE government to help protect the country against the spread of the coronavirus from China. The circular was sent to schools by the Ministry of Education on Monday and announced via a tweet. "In case a pupil, teaching and administration staff, employees of educational institutions, or their respective family members have recently [during the last 14 days] returned from China, regardless of [any] symptoms, they must be exempted from [school] attendance for a duration of 14 days starting from the entry date," it said. Schools also communicated steps they are taking to help protect pupils, with some having already asked pupils who had been in contact with anyone who travelled to an area affected by the virus to stay home. A letter issued to parents of children at Cranleigh Abu Dhabi last week said: "We ask that anyone who has recently travelled from a novel coronavirus affected area, or been in direct contact with someone who has, should refrain from visiting the school site to prevent the potential spread of the virus and protect the health of pupils and staff. “Please do take care if you are travelling for half term, even through airports and public areas, and follow the advice of the local authorities you are travelling to. "Should pupils be unable to attend school for this reason, we will arrange work to be sent via email and the VLE [virtual learning environment].” Staff were fully briefed on the symptoms of the virus and children encouraged to practice good hygiene to help protect themselves, the Cranleigh letter said. Abu Dhabi's education authority last week reassured parents that no coronavirus cases had been reported in the capital. An official at the Abu Dhabi Public Health Centre also confirmed there have been no cases of coronavirus in the emirate on Sunday. The country announced its fifth case of the virus – all Chinese tourists on holiday in the country. The patients were all said to be in a stable condition at the last update. Authorities urged the public not to spread rumours about the virus and to follow updates only from official sources. Doctors stressed the risk to the general public was low. However, that has not stopped a run on face masks and hand sanitiser, which is reported to be out of stock in many pharmacies across the country. On Monday the UAE said it would suspend all flights to and from China, with the exception of Beijing. Passengers boarding flights to the UAE from the Chinese capital must, however, undergo a comprehensive medical screening of between six to eight hours before boarding, the General Civil Aviation Authority said. On Tuesday the number of confirmed cases in China crossed 20,000 as the second death outside the country was reported in Hong Kong. The 39-year-old was said to be suffering from underlying health conditions. In total, there are now 20,438 confirmed cases on the Chinese mainland, with 425 deaths. More than 630 people have recovered and been discharged from hospital. More than 20 countries have reported cases of the virus and there are many who could be infected and develop mild symptoms but do not know they have it. The virus is one of seven known coronaviruses – four of which result in symptoms no more serious than the common cold. The exceptions include Sars, which has a fatality rate of 14 to 15 per cent; Mers, which kills about 35 per cent of people it infects; and the new virus, which has a fatality rate of about 2 per cent. Like Sars and Mers, the Wuhan coronavirus can lead to pneumonia.

Coronavirus: school staff and pupils asked to stay at home if they have travelled to China

Circular was issued to schools across the country by the Ministry of Education on Monday