N.H. students who traveled to Italy asked to stay home amid coronavirus fears

A New Hampshire school district chief is asking 35 high school students who recently traveled to Italy and France to stay home next week amid news of coronavirus cases in Europe, although there is “no indication” the students were exposed to the virus.

© Provided by Boston Herald This illustration provided by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in January 2020 shows the 2019 Novel Coronavirus (2019-nCoV). This virus was identified as the cause of an outbreak of respiratory illness first detected in Wuhan, China. (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention via AP)

Winfried Feneberg, Kearsarge Regional School District superintendent, said in a statement Sunday “out of an abundance of caution” the students and staff who attended the trip have been asked to return to school March 9, allowing a 14-day time period from their travels to elapse.

“Although COVID-19 is present in Italy, students were in the Lombardy and Veneto region of the country for a very brief period of time and there is no indication that the students were exposed to the virus,” Feneberg said.

The Centers for Disease and Control recently designated Italy on its highest warning level for travel, along with China, South Korea and Iran, urging people to avoid nonessential travel.

No coronavirus cases have been confirmed in New Hampshire. Rhode Island on Sunday reported its first case of coronavirus in a male in his 40s who returned from Italy in mid-February. Boston reported its first case last month, in a UMass student who returned from China.

Feneberg said the district is using online tools to ensure students can continue studies with a minimal impact, and teachers will be flexible in granting students time to complete coursework.

The District urged caution for flu, for which thousands of confirmed cases have been reported in New Hampshire.

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