Nova Scotia's regional centres for education have issued a provincewide ban on all international school trips amid concerns of the COVID-19 outbreak, Education Minister Zach Churchill announced Wednesday.

"It was decided at their level, which is a decision that I support, that they were going to cancel all international travel, even in areas that aren't deemed to be high-risk right now to minimize risk," Churchill said.

Principals met with staff of the regional centres for education this week to discuss plans for upcoming trips. Churchill said they also met with Dr. Robert Strang, Nova Scotia's chief medical officer of health.

All international trips scheduled before April 30 have been cancelled, affecting 1,200 students. The majority of the trips were bound for Italy and other parts of Europe.

Churchill said the province and the centres will be monitoring the outbreak, and if it continues, the timeline will be re-evaluated.

"We've heard from a lot of parents, and folks concerned within the system, particularly chaperones for these trips, that they were very concerned about travel," he said.

Insurance coverage

Churchill said families who purchased travel insurance will be able to claim the costs of cancelled trips.

EF Educational Tours Canada, which runs student trips, confirmed that to be the case.

"If the group, the school, or the school board collectively chose to cancel the trip, those travellers who purchased insurance would be able to make an insurance claim," spokesperson Adam Bickelman said in an email Monday.

Churchill said travel agencies that organized the trips have been working with parents to provide other options, like travel vouchers.

No confirmed cases in Nova Scotia

Seven people have been tested for COVID-19 in the province, but there have been no confirmed cases.

Rumours that at least one patient had tested positive at a Halifax-area clinic received widespread circulation earlier this week, but the Nova Scotia Health Authority confirmed those claims were baseless.

Plan in the works

Churchill told reporters on Tuesday that the province is reviewing protocols developed during the 2009 H1N1 pandemic to prepare for a potential coronavirus outbreak in Nova Scotia that could impact schools.

He said there isn't a finalized plan in place to deal with an outbreak.

"We'll make sure that the kids get the best education they can in event that the worst-case scenario does occur," Churchill said.

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