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Up date on Consequencwes of Coronovirus (19)
Re: Consequences of the outbreak of COVID-19 in the state of Kuwait
Dear Secondary Parents
Please find below the Kuwaiti Government advice:
The Cabinet has announced two weeks’ vacation (March 15 – 26).
Presently Kuwait is in virtual lockdown – Closing of public places (flights, banks, restaurants, shopping centers are closed).
The decision to close schools is due to circumstances and a crisis in the country, and based on the decision of the council of Ministers.
The Ministry of Education warned all private schools in Kuwait to apply the Cabinet’s decision and suspend all work until Thursday March 26, 2020.
Further to Kuwait government directives, Kuwait National English School is suspending all in classrooms teaching activities from March 01 – March 26. Kuwait National English School is carefully monitoring the current novel coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak in the state of Kuwait. Further to Kuwait government directives, announced on a regular basis, KNES has suspending all in classroom teaching activities from March 01 – 26. Staff members are constantly providing work using the distance-learning options to students who opted to register for this additional service. KNES is regularly communicating with teaching staff on the internet and telephone.
At KNES we take the safety and security of our community very seriously. We are carefully monitoring the current novel coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak. Working from the recommendations of the Ministry of Education and health authorities we are doing everything possible to mitigate the risk of infection to the community. The Management has a duty to prioritize the health and safety of our pupils and the wider community, as well as to ensure the successful continuity of our academic mission.
All KNES future events are cancelled or postponed. As part of KNES extensive ongoing preparedness measures, we have already posted the external examination time table on our school website, of course this is subject to the Boards final decision on external examinations.
KNES is also postponing some events, such as Graduation, which is likely to attract more people.
Other steps that have been taken by KNES include:
Closing schools mean keep our pupils safe at home so the virus doesn’t spread. Otherwise there is no point in closing schools. Kuwait has extended lockdown by closing mosques, parks; as cases surge to above 100 victims. Please note that self-isolation is now compulsory for all recent travellers.
We ask members of our community who have flu-like symptoms to isolate themselves as quickly as possible, limiting contact with others, including visitors, and avoiding contact with individuals with chronic conditions or compromised immune systems;
Posters have been placed in and around the school advising pupils on tips to avoid viral illnesses and transmission of viruses;
Hand sanitizer stations are being deployed around our classrooms and labs.
Precautions
It is a good idea to practice health precautions to further reduce risk:
Wash your hands often with soap under warm running water for at least 20 seconds; Use alcohol-based hand sanitizer only if soap and water are not available;
When coughing or sneezing, cover your mouth and nose with your arm to reduce the spread of germs;
If you use a tissue, dispose of it as soon as possible and wash your hands afterwards.
I leave you on a positive note, even though the threat of COVID-19 has become very real and is a pandemic threat; however, this would be the first pandemic in history that could be controlled. The competent Kuwaiti Government is actually working in the right direction in controlling the spread of this virus.
Yours sincerely,
Dr. Raouf Khodabocus, BSc, MSc, PhD, FCIC (Canada)
Head of Secondary, Kuwait National English School
Hawally, Kuwait E-mail: rkhodabocus@knes.edu.kw
