THE NSW Department of Education has issued a coronavirus caution warning to school planning overseas trips in 2020.
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On March 3 a NSW Health spokesperson said there were 13 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in NSW, none in regional areas, including Port Macquarie.
Hastings Secondary College will now review two trips to the United States in April where students will compete in robotics competitions.
"The health and wellbeing of students and staff are always the department's highest priorities," Hastings Network director of educational leadership Andrew Kuchling said.
"Therefore, in the current COVID-19 environment, all overseas excursions in term one are on hold until further notice.
"Schools have been asked, if possible, to reschedule planned overseas travel until later in the year.
"If a school believes it has exceptional circumstances to proceed with an overseas excursion, the department will consider such requests on a case-by-case basis."
Hastings Secondary College has cancelled attendance at an aquanauts competition but has put in a request for special consideration to attend the First Robotics Competition in Texas in April if Hastings Heroes Team 6508 are successful in gaining entry.
Camden Haven High School say they had also planned a trip to Indonesia as part of a collaboration with a sister school which has now been delayed.
"We had an Indonesia visit planned for later this year and whilst this had received conditional approval to go ahead last week but this is no longer the case," a spokesperson said.
The school recently hosted a delegation from Indonesia as part of an ongoing partnership which started in 2015.
The school said they received advice from the deputy secretary Murat Dizdar on March 1 which stated that overseas excursions had been placed on hold.
"Many of our schools have planned overseas travel or excursions to occur during the year. However with the current COVID-19 situation, the safety of our students and staff is paramount and it is for this reason that all overseas excursions are required to be now placed on hold until further notice."
The spokesperson said fundraising will continue in the hope that the situation will improve and the planned trip is able to proceed later this year or early in 2021.
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