In a letter to all parents, Dr Ivan Muscat, the deputy medical officer of health, said that everyone had a part to play in slowing the spread of coronavirus, and remembering when and where they met people may help in tracing cases of the disease.
He also urged families not to go trick-or-treating and to ensure that any Halloween parties complied with public-health guidelines. The letter was issued yesterday, as a class at St John’s Primary School began isolation after a pupil tested positive for Covid-19.
It is the fourth school in the last two weeks to be affected by the virus, with class bubbles at St Saviour’s Primary School and St Michael’s Prep being sent home earlier this month after cases were detected.
And earlier this week the government revealed that a support worker at Le Rocquier had tested positive but had been off school for a week and therefore no one at the secondary was required to isolate.
In the letter, Dr Muscat said that the measures in place to deal with cases in schools were ‘robust’, and added: ‘I firmly believe that schools and childcare settings remain safe for your children to attend and it is important for them to do so.
‘The global evidence continues to support the fact that children are unlikely to develop severe illness from Covid-19.’
He asked parents to be on the look-out for coronavirus symptoms, and urged them to help prevent a surge in cases during the one-week half-term break.
‘Although children are not thought to be super-spreaders of the virus, they can still pass it on. Therefore, we are asking all families to carefully consider which Halloween activities they choose to participate in. In particular, we ask that you avoid door-to-door trick-or-treating,’ he said.
‘Any activity that increases the number of people that you come into face-to-face contact with increases the risk of spreading the virus. For high-risk Islanders, not only does this expose them to unnecessary risk, but it could also cause them high levels of anxiety during an already stressful period.
‘If you are planning a Halloween party for your children, friends and family, please remember to follow the current public-health guidelines and ensure that any informal social gathering or party does not exceed the maximum number allowed, which is 20 people.
‘All of us have a responsibility to help prevent the spread of the virus and these limits are designed to keep Islanders safe. Please also keep track of who you spend time with, in case the information is required by contact tracing.’
In an email to the JEP, the government said that parents should keep a note, for example in their diary, of anyone who they or their children are in close contact with for more than 15 minutes.
In a statement confirming the case in St John’s Primary School, the Education Department said that a class bubble were isolating and would be tested at days five and eight, subject to parental or carer consent.
‘All parents have been informed and the school remains open, following advice from Environmental and Public Health,’ a spokesperson said.
