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NHS Coronavirus information. Information from gov.uk. Mumsnet hasn't checked the qualifications of anyone posting here. If you have health concerns, please seek medical attention.
Related: Lockdown Learning, discuss home schooling during lockdown.
Covid
College Trip to Italy
uggmum · 10/03/2020 08:02
My DS is due to go on a college trip to Italy in April.
College are adamant that the trip is going ahead. To the extent that I had to pay £10 for a hoody yesterday for him to wear on the trip.
They are going to the South of the country. However, the entire country seems to be locked down at the moment.
I am not being melodramatic, but I don't want to send him to a country with a high possibility of infection and risking him infecting others upon his return.
I know people are saying that it's 'just flu'. However, when Swine Flu swept the country I contracted it and was seriously ill. In hospital for 3 weeks with sepsis and liver failure.
I have emailed college asking for their intentions for the trip and I am waiting for a response
ElizabethMainwaring · 10/03/2020 08:05
I can't possibly see how it can go ahead!
I'm sure that the college will have changed their tune today.
Ponoka7 · 10/03/2020 08:08
I thibk it's going to be rampant in the UK by then, tbh.
It's spreading where i live, across Liverpool and Merseyside. It'll be worse, because people aren't going to give up football and race meets. (Liverpool/Everton/Grand National/Haydock).
So for that reason the trip wouldn't concern me. I am concerned about the Corona Virus because me and my Sister are vulnerable to it and i know lots of people who also are. So I'm not someone who is minimising it.
Ponoka7 · 10/03/2020 08:09
But as said, the college may be forced to cancel. So it won't be upto them.
ElizabethMainwaring · 10/03/2020 08:10
You will probably get a better response if you ask for your thread to be moved to the coronavirus board.
Madvixen · 10/03/2020 08:20
The FCO are now advising against all but essential travel to Italy. Should that still be in place on April then the school won't be able to go
GloriaMumsnet · 10/03/2020 09:07
Hi OP, we've moved this over to our Coronavirus topic!
GCAcademic · 10/03/2020 09:10
They won’t be going now. The FCO advice will render their insurance void.
averylongtimeasLangCleg · 10/03/2020 09:10
As the Italian government has put the whole country on lockdown- I don't think they will be going.
The British government is advising no travel to any part of Italy unless unavoidable.
cologne4711 · 10/03/2020 09:17
The FCO advice will render their insurance void
Kind of. It voids the insurance if they go regardless (which they won't), but the insurance will pay out (hopefully) if they don't go.
As for the hoodie order, phone today and tell them to cancel it.
pelirocco123 · 10/03/2020 09:18
April is still a few weeks away so depending when they have planned to go things may have moved on ....no point worrying about it yet .Even if it does go ahead if you arent comfortable he doesnt have to go
Divebar · 10/03/2020 09:22
My main concern about any foreign travel - even to places with not many cases themselves is the prospect of being Ill out there and being trapped in some hotel or hospital and unable to get back. I certainly wouldn’t want my child away from me abroad while this is all going on.
KoalasandRabbit · 10/03/2020 09:24
DD has a school trip to Sorrento first week of June for which parents are being asked to pay full amount by 20/3. I queried if it would go ahead and they said yes.
Obviously whole country is in lockdown now until 3rd April and FCO advice is currently avoid all but essential travel. Looked on tour company website and it says tours after 3rd April are going ahead, if schools wish to cancel then they must pay cancellation fees as normal. Those before 3rd April they will try to move to an alternative or may refund.
If it's before 3rd April it should be cancelled, if it's after up to school but expecting ours to say going ahead. Would imagine quite a few parents will be wavering about paying full amount / sending them. Difficult for school to as if cancel parents are likely to lose all the money. Hopefully insurance will pay out for those before 3rd April, depends on what terms they signed.
SnoozyLou · 10/03/2020 09:25
There are still a few weeks left, but I think college are living in a fantasy land.
BarbaraofSeville · 10/03/2020 09:28
Things are changing day to day and you just can't say at this stage. Also massively depends on whether beginning or end of April.
You just have to wait and see and accept that the decision might not be made until a week or two before they are due to travel.
KoalasandRabbit · 10/03/2020 09:29
This is company our school is using policy:
www.rayburntours.com/blog/2020/03/10/coronavirus-covid-19-travel-advice/
KoalasandRabbit · 10/03/2020 12:52
My school has replied our school trip first week of June will be running to Italy as that's government advice but a final decision will be made based on government advice around 2 weeks before travel.
I'm asking them if we cancel now are we just liable for deposit, also if FCO advice goes to don't travel for that period are we eligible for a refund or can we be given an alternative and refused a refund. Also who pays for quarantine and does insurance cover coronavirus. Our summer holiday travel insurance isn't clear at all on quarantine and some insurance doesn't cover coronavirus if declared a pandemic.
uggmum · 10/03/2020 16:00
I've had a reply to my email confirming that the trip will go ahead as planned.
So we will have to wait and see
user1471523870 · 10/03/2020 16:10
Haven't all flights been cancelled? Also, the country is in lock down (not just the north) and that means bars and restaurant close at 6pm, sport and cultural events cancelled, museums closed, access to supermarkets and shops closely monitored and only few customers allowed in at one time etc.
ALSO, one of the biggest problems is that hospitals are not copying. I am from Italy but I wouldn't like to be in Italy right now. It's crazy thinking of sending my children or my students, even in April.
However, we had to cancel our trip and our travel insurance issued a refund.
wonkylegs · 10/03/2020 16:40
Seeing as all skiing and cultural sites, museums, galleries and sporting events are closed in Italy, restaurants are heavily restricted as are public gatherings I'm not sure if even if they could get there what they would see.
I think the wording of the FCO advice means that some insurers are refusing to pay out - they need 'but essential travel' removed and it clarified to 'all' travel before they will refund.
KoalasandRabbit · 10/03/2020 23:08
Got a reply back via our one and letter being sent out to all parents tomorrow. Trip in first week of June is going ahead unless government advise otherwise later on regardless of how bad the virus is and whether anything is open. If trip is cancelled with FCO advise as don't travel receive a refund. If kids go into quarantine or get coronavirus schools insurance covers it. If I withdraw now lose £285 deposit of £850 cost. DD is still desperate to go but looks awful over there, she would cope with quarantine, wouldn't cope with hospital but says she won't get it. According to DD I am the only parent concerned, everyone else just jokes about it and coughs over each other 
Will see what letter says.
Notcontent · 10/03/2020 23:23
Uggmum - I think you can safely assume that notwithstanding what the college is saying, the trip will not be going unless the situation changes and the FCO guidance is amended. There is no way that they could go against the FCO guidance and expose themselves to potential liability!!!!
Frazzled2207 · 10/03/2020 23:24
I suspect there will be a very high chance that the flight will just not go. Flights to Italy have mostly been suspended until early April and very likely to be extended IMO.
alexdgr8 · 11/03/2020 03:46
does it really matter whether the college thinks they are going or not.
my son would certainly not be going.
just tell them that. i dont understand some people on here, analysing whether, when, how much money they might lose.
who cares. money is replaceable. people are not.
this is a serious situation. think for yourselves. arrange your priorities.
Toybox88 · 11/03/2020 06:16
Do people understand that they are not going against FCO advice for a trip in April? The advice is for the moment. Flights are only cancelled until early April. Currently.
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