International travellers banned from New Brunswick schools for two weeks

FREDERICTON — New Brunswick’s education minister has taken the unprecedented step of ordering all preschoolers and students travelling abroad to refrain from returning to school for two weeks in a bid to prevent the spread of the novel coronavirus.

Dominic Cardy sent a letter to parents Monday saying the precautionary measure — among the most aggressive taken by any province — also applies to school and early learning centre staff, volunteers and family members of students.

Cardy says the new rule applies to those who have returned from international travel as of March 8.

The minister has also cancelled all international school-related travel for the remainder of the school year.

The latest measures come after Cardy distributed a letter on Friday, saying the two-week school ban applied only to those students, volunteers, staff and family members who had travelled to China, Italy, Iran, Japan, South Korea, Hong Kong or Singapore.

There are currently no confirmed cases of COVID-19 in New Brunswick.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published March 10, 2020.

The Canadian Press