The Campbell River School District has cancelled two upcoming international trips for students amid the COVID-19 outbreak. Grade 11 Carihi students will no longer travel to Italy March 12 to 21. Grade 9 to 12 Timberline students will also not be taking their upcoming trip to Italy and Greece from March 15 to 24.

The Campbell River School District has cancelled two upcoming international trips for students amid the COVID-19 outbreak. Grade 11 Carihi students will no longer travel to Italy March 12 to 21. Grade 9 to 12 Timberline students will also not be taking their upcoming trip to Italy and Greece from March 15 to 24.

SD72 cancels two school trips to Italy amid COVID-19 outbreak

Students from Carihi and Timberline were scheduled to travel on two separate trips this month

  • Mar. 9, 2020 12:00 a.m.

Two upcoming international school trips for Campbell River students have been cancelled amid growing concern over COVID-19.

School District 72 made the call last week to cancel a Carihi Secondary Grade 11 trip to Italy March 12 – 21 and a Timberline Secondary trip for students in Grades 9-12 to Italy and Greece from March 15 to 24.

According to Campbell River School District spokesperson Jennifer Patrick, the district has a two-step approval process by the superintendent for all out-of-province travel or trips longer than than five days.

“Field trip itineraries must not include areas where the Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade has published a travel advisory indicating safety is an issue,” she said.

The Canadian government recommends avoiding non-essential travel to Northern Italy due to COVID-19. The alert has been in place since Feb. 25.

Not all out-of-province has been cancelled for district students.

“District administration are carefully considering other international trips on a case-by-case basis,” a March 4 letter to parents said.

A Carihi trip for students in Grades 10-12 to England from March 11 to 23 is still a go. International students are still planning a trip to Banff from March 18-21, École Phoenix Middle School students are scheduled to go to Quebec May 7 to 12, and a May 18-21 trip to Calgary for Carihi and Timberline concert and jazz bands remains scheduled.

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