WINNIPEG -- A dozen high school students are back in town a little sooner than initially expected after fears of COVID-19 cut their school trip short.
The Louis Riel School District's yearly exchange trip usually sends twelve students to Japan from January until spring break.
"We decided to have them come home early," said Christian Michalik, superintendent of the Louis Riel School Division.
"It is disappointing for the kids that they had to cut the trip short, but they've been amazing."
Renee Demare, a parent of one of the students, said the kids were upset when they first found out about the early homecoming.
"When they found out the trip was going to be truncated, they all cried," she said.
Despite no confirmed cases in the region of Japan where the students were in, Demare said shutdowns left the students with nothing to do.
"The Japanese schools are closed, and there was nothing for them to do," Demare said.
"All the malls, public intuitions are closed, and they just spent the last bit of their time in their rooms alone."
Arriving back in Winnipeg on Friday, the students will not have to stay in quarantine and can return to school.
Jessica Pierre, whose daughter was on the trip, isn't worried about contracting the disease either.
"I don't have any worries for myself or my family," she said.
The superintendent said there isn't a need to worry because none of the kids have shown flu-like symptoms.
Demare's daughter Alexandra was planning on attending a school basketball game on Friday night and hosting a sleepover.
"If you really focus on the facts of COVID-19, it's not affecting youth," said Demare. "I'm more disappointed for her that her trip got cut short."
The Government of Canada is advising travellers in Japan to practise special precautions like avoiding large crowds and monitoring your health. It currently has not implemented the next level of risk, which is avoiding all non-essential travel to Japan.
