COVID-19 travel advisory prompts changes for P.E.I. high school trip

A planned trip to Italy for Charlottetown Rural High students has been changed after the federal government issued a travel advisory for the northern part of that country.

The travel advisory was issued on the advice of the Public Health Agency of Canada, due to the spread of COVID-19 in northern Italy. The Charlottetown Rural students will now visit Austria and Switzerland instead.

Public Schools Branch director Parker Grimmer said students and staff are informed from the outset that trips are subject to change and cancellation. Grimmer said these decisions are made in consultation with public health authorities and the tour company handling the trip.

"The decision was made by the tour provider that they could go to other locations. And right now those particular locations are not on the travel advisory. And so they are deemed safe to travel to," he said.

There are cases of COVID-19 in Austria and Switzerland, but no Canadian travel advisory.

The trip is organized through EFEducational Tours. In an emailed statement, the company's spokesperson said it continues to work with groups, schoolsand individual families to provide flexible options for tours that have already been booked.

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