Health of students on skiing trip in Italy is paramount, says Shrewsbury college
A group of Shropshire students who have travelled to Italy for a skiing trip are 120 miles away from the coronavirus quarantine zones, according to college bosses.
Shrewsbury Colleges Group has insisted that the health and safety of their students is a top priority.
After carrying out risk assessments, leaders at the college decided not to cancel the trip despite the outbreak of Covid-19 in Italy.
A college spokesman said: "A small group of our students are on a skiing trip in northern Italy. They are 120 miles away from any exclusion zones.
"They travelled over by coach so have avoided any interaction with large crowds.
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"We have taken all the government advice on board and at the moment, the advice for the area where they are is that they do not have to self-isolate on their return home unless they feel unwell."
Italy is the hardest hit country in Europe, and has the second-deadliest coronavirus outbreak outside of China, where the disease originated.
It has reported 80 deaths from 2,502 confirmed cases. Most patients who have died so far were either elderly or had other conditions.
The spokesman added: "The students' safety and health is absolutely paramount and we would not take any risks.
"We did a full risk assessment beforehand and made sure the parents and students were comfortable with the situation and wanted to continue with the trip."
A number of other upcoming trips will be reviewed by Shrewsbury Colleges Group before a decision is made whether or not they will go ahead.
