Coronavirus COVID-19 – A notice to all staff and students

Northern Beaches & Mosman College is open, and courses will continue to run as normal unless you are otherwise notified. We will continue to monitor the situation closely and follow advice from NSW Health to ensure we are responding appropriately.

Consistent with current guidelines from NSW Health, if you are unwell, you should stay at home and seek medical attention as soon as possible.

Students currently excluded from educational facilities such as schools and Colleges are those who in the last 14 days have:

• Been in contact with any confirmed coronavirus (COVID-19) cases.
• Travelled from or through mainland China (excluding Hong Kong).
• Travelled from Iran, South Korea or Italy.
• Returned to Australia from overseas effective from 16 March 2020.

If you meet these circumstances, you must be isolated in your home for 14 days after exposure, other than for individual medical care.

Students and staff who returned to Australia more than 14 days ago and have shown no symptoms are able to return to educational facilities.

Extra Precautions

As an additional precaution:

• We have increased our already rigorous cleaning procedures; and staff are extra vigilant in ensuring proper hygiene practices are being followed.
• We will be providing hand sanitiser in most classrooms (Pending availability).
• We will be providing antibacterial wipes and sprays in most classrooms for use on equipment and surfaces (Pending availability).
• If you have your own hand sanitiser, we recommend you bring that with you also for easy access.

Prevention is the key, so we encourage all visitors to employ the following safe hygiene practices as recommended by NSW Health:

• Clean your hands with soap and water for 20 seconds, or an alcohol-based hand rub.
• Cover your nose and mouth when coughing and sneezing with tissue or a flexed elbow
• Avoid close contact with anyone with cold or flu-like symptoms.
• Practice cough etiquette (keep away from other people, cover coughs and sneezes with disposable tissues or clothing, and clean your hands.
• Where possible, practice recommended social distancing

Further COVID-19 information and updates are available via the NSW Health website here.

First Aid and CPR courses

Further to advice from the Australian Resuscitation Council (ARC) it has been recommended that, in light of the current Coronavirus situation, First Aid and CPR courses should not be held. We have cancelled all classes scheduled for March and April. We are still taking bookings for classes from May onwards, however depending on advice received from the ARC, these may be cancelled. Full refunds will be given.

Term 2

In light of these uncertain times, we have delayed the start of most Term 2 new courses until the week beginning 18 May (some classes may need to start outside of this date as a result of trainer or venue availability).

We hope to offer the option of virtual classroom participation for as many courses as practical to enable courses to continue. With easy to use software for access, you will be able to join using your laptop, ipad or mobile phone. Please check back to our website regularly for updates on this situation.

If you are currently attending a course that continues into Term 2, at this stage we hope that these classes will continue as scheduled. We are however responding to day to day updates in the government response to the coronavirus pandemic so we will be in contact with students regarding any required changes. Again, the virtual classroom option may be offered, to allow students to continue and/or complete their courses.

Please be assured that the health, safety and wellbeing of our staff and students is our highest priority.