A desert! While neighbors usually complain about the incessant traffic around La Côte International School, the surroundings looked like Sunday … this Monday. It is that a member of the teaching staff tested positive for Coronavirus (COVID-19) and that the management made the decision to close the establishment which counts 550 pupils. A closure announced to parents only for one day, then now until March 23. “We were informed in the evening of Sunday that we had to keep the children at home,” says a mother whose “little ones” frequent the Aubonnois establishment. “A new message that fell on Monday at the start of the afternoon, however, explained to us that the school would be closed until March 23 and that lessons would be given by computer now.”
550 students, that is not nothing. And if the management first adopted radio silence during the morning, it is to better assess the situation, especially with the cantonal authorities. “We can confirm that a staff member from La Côte International School has tested positive for the new Coronavirus (COVID-19) and is currently receiving treatment. As a result, we made the decision to close the school until Monday, March 23, “said Gaylene Pomeroy, director of admissions and marketing. “We are going to activate an online learning program for our students during this period and all members of our school community have been informed. In collaboration with the local health authority, we have taken all necessary measures to guarantee the health and safety of students, colleagues and the school community as a whole, which is our top priority, ”said the manager.
In the surroundings, the news had spread very quickly in the morning, the neighbors – mainly craftsmen – being intrigued by the absence of children around the dark building. “We heard that the premises would be disinfected on Monday so that we could open the next day, since it would be closed for a longer period,” said a trader. “It has become a very important player in Aubonne, especially since the GEMS school in Etoy ceased its activities last summer. Many students, as well as teachers, have been “recovered” here. “
Contacted, the trustee Luc-Etienne Rossier was not aware of the news, but not surprised. “We have permanent contact with them and when I met last weekend, there was a certain” excitement “linked to this virus. Its sudden growth has given rise to traffic and access problems, especially because parents get there by car. We are in the process of studying solutions, in particular for the construction of a second building. ”
According to our sources, two multinationals with their headquarters in the perimeter – and therefore parents of potentially affected pupils – asked the latter to preventively keep their children at home, which would have led the school to play it safe by keeping its doors closed until March 23. Contacted on several occasions, the canton’s crisis cell announced that it would speak on this issue “during the day”.
Created: 09.03.2020, 14h52
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