On Tuesday 25th February at 6pm, a team of six Bible School students and one staff member returned from Italy, having been there since Friday 21st February. The purpose of their visit was to work with a partner church in Milan, which is where they stayed for the duration of their visit and was 40 miles from the specific lockdown areas in Northern Italy.
As a precaution, based on direct advice from Public Health England with regard to our specific residential setting and going above and beyond what is currently officially recommended by Public Health England for category 2 situations, it was agreed that immediately on arrival the team would be housed in separate accommodation on the Capernwray campus half a kilometre away from the main hall. The six students and one member of staff have not been in or around the main hall or gardens at Capernwray since their return and will not mix with the wider community. None of our staff have been in physical contact with them and all supplies and welfare arrangements are following guidance from Public Health England. We emphasise that this is purely precautionary as no group members have presented with any symptoms, but we believe it is in everyone’s interests to eradicate risk to those already on site and those visiting our site.