Harborough college principal moves to reassure people after social media attacks about coronavirus

Mike Oliver, principal of Brooke House College, today said he wants to make it clear that their youngsters are all well as the outbreak spreads worldwide.

He spoke out after receiving calls and emails from local people fearing that the school’s Chinese pupils had been struck down.

Mike told the Harborough Mail: “I want to reassure the people of Market Harborough and beyond that none of our kids have got the coronavirus.

“We’ve been up and running since the New Year here and we are into Week 5 of our spring term now.

“This virus has got a 14-day incubation period.

“So if any of our students had returned from China with the disease after Christmas it would obviously have appeared by now.”

He added: “Local people have been getting in touch with us about the coronavirus.

“I even had someone call up here and accuse me of bringing the SARS virus into the country.

“That dates back many years so it highlights the level of worry out there but also some ignorance of this current crisis.

“We’ve also had some unpleasantness about Brooke House College on social media.

“But I want to emphasise we are pulling out all the stops to protect everyone here and to ensure there is no threat or danger to the community.”

Mike spoke as the death toll topped 360 people on mainland China with over 17,000 confirmed cases of the virus there.

There are over 150 confirmed cases of the deadly illness, centred on Wuhan, outside China - with one death, in the Philippines.

The experienced headteacher said he’s written to parents, guardians and agents of all their 270 students bringing them bang up to date.

“I’ve told them that we are taking every step, measure and precaution to make sure we are totally safe.

“We haven’t had any students arriving late this term,” said Mike.

“But if they did turn up late they would have to go into incubation with their guardian for 14 days.

“And they’d have to be certified by a local doctor after running blood tests that they were clear of the virus.

“We want to make sure we are doing all we can to prevent any cases of coronavirus emerging here at Brooke House College.”

He said they had also slapped a ban on their Chinese students flying home for the half-term break, which starts on Saturday February 15.

“We’ve told them that they should stay here over half-term.

“It’s only a one-week break so most if not all would have been staying here rather than going home anyway,” said Mike.

“We’ve been taking advice from the World Health Organisation, Public Health England and other sources, such as the Boarding Schools’ Association, in order to ensure that our response is up-to-date and proportionate.”

He said they had up to 20 Chinese students, both boys and girls, aged from 11-19 boarding at the outstanding Leicester Road college.

“They come here from China, across the Far East and around the world to study academically and to do our internationally-renowned sports courses.

“We have about 270 students, 40 teachers and over 100 staff altogether.

“So we are naturally doing all we can to keep everyone safe and well,” said Mike, whose college charges boarding students £34,000-a-year.

“As a college we take our responsibilities for the safety of pupils, staff and the wider Harborough community within which we live very seriously.”

Mr Oliver told the families of students that a ‘short course’ group due to arrive from China on Wednesday February 12 has now been cancelled.

“Brooke House is a huge positive for Market Harborough.

“We bring considerable income and employment into the town,” said Mike.

“We love being based here so please be assured we are doing everything possible to keep us all safe and healthy.”