Though the coronavirus has not yet hit southeastern Connecticut, parents and students are already feeling its impact as schools across the region are canceling trips abroad to keep kids out of harm’s way and free from potential quarantines.

But those cancellations might be causing more angst than ease, as travel agencies aren’t willing to refund the trips as they face significant losses, leaving students' families thousands of dollars in the red.

On Friday evening at the New London Science and Technology Magnet High School, a group of parents, whose children's trip to Italy this April was canceled by the district out of an overabundance of caution due to the spread of the coronavirus, met with district officials and travel agency ACIS Educational Tours of Boston to find a solution.

The Day was not able to immediately reach ACIS for comment Friday.

New London Schools Communications and Marketing Manager Tyler Olson would not allow The Day to attend the meeting and said he could not speak outside an issued statement he emailed Friday: “Our upmost priority is the safety and health of our students.”

“After receiving advice from our district’s School Medical Advisor, we have decided to cancel the NLHS Multi-Magnet Campus Italian Exchange trip scheduled for April, due to concerns of the Coronavirus. We are in the process of reviewing alternative options with the travel agency, parents and students. As soon as we have a final plan, we will work with parents and students directly,” he wrote.

New London isn’t the only district canceling spring break trips abroad, as superintendents from North Stonington to Old Lyme also canceled trips to Italy, France and Spain this week, as well as a trip to China earlier this month, as the coronavirus has continued to spread across the globe and the potential for additional travel bans grows.

“This is not a decision I took lightly,” said North Stonington Superintendent Peter Nero, who said he made the decision Thursday to cancel 16 students’ eight-day trip to Italy, Spain and France this April as part of a World Language Experience with school administrators. “I made the decision based on what I had heard on the news. But I just said, 'Look, I cannot take the chance that one of our kids is going to be overseas and something is going to happen.' I just can’t take the shot.”

“What if they get sick there, then what happens?” Nero continued. “Or what if they catch the regular flu? Would they be quarantined there? Or would they quarantined when they get back to the States? I couldn’t take that chance.”

Nero said he is not yet sure whether students will receive refunds for their trip and said he is telling parents to not yet cancel their tickets in case a travel ban is put in place, warranting an automatic refund. He said he hopes that travel agency Jumpstreet Educational Tours of Canada will be willing to later offer full refunds or allow students to reschedule their trip next year. He and parents will meet Tuesday to discuss possibilities, he said.

“Everyone has been understanding at this point, but let’s hope the travel agencies will be flexible,” Nero said. “And I understand, the travel industry is taking a huge financial hit. But the market should also go back to being fine, too.”

Lyme-Old Lyme High School also canceled its April break trip to Spain this week after earlier this month canceling an April trip to China as part of a language class taught at the high school.

Superintendent Ian Neviaser said the school district regularly takes part in trips for students around the globe, but decided to cancel the trips after heeding advice from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the state’s Department of Public Health.

But unlike other districts in the region, Neviaser said parents and students were able to receive full refunds for both trips. He said the China trip was booked through an agency, while the Spain trip was organized through the district and booked directly through the airlines.

Ledyard Superintendent Jason Hartling said he has not yet canceled his high school's spring break trip to Costa Rica, as that part of globe has not yet been hard hit by the virus, nor a summer trip to France.

"Once there is a clear path, we will make a decision, but right now we are monitoring very closely both what the state department and the CDC are advising for travel," Hartling said. "We know (it would be) a significant impact financially to families and we want to make sure we are dong the right thing by the students."

Travel, markets down

As the virus has intensified over recent weeks, its impacts have been taking a toll on the global economy, significantly impacting the tourism industry, as well.

According to the New York Times on Friday, United Airlines said it was reducing service in March and April from a handful of U.S. airports to Tokyo, Osaka, Singapore and Seoul, citing a 75% decline in near-term demand for the trans-Pacific flights, while Travel bookings by American residents in the five weeks leading up to Feb. 17 have dropped 19.3%, the analytics firm ForwardKeys said.

The Global Business Travel Association said nearly two-thirds of members it surveyed had canceled meetings and that most companies in Asia had delayed business trips in the region, the Times reported, while U.S. stocks plunged this week to 2008 financial crisis levels.

The World Health Organization said the virus, found in at least 56 countries so far, poses a “very high” global risk, after more than 83,000 people in at least 56 countries have been infected, and more than 2,800 have died, the New York Times also reported.

“I know some schools are considering limiting travel, and I think that is based on the recommendation from the state health department that all residents should reconsider plans for international travel and that’s due to uncertainty around travel restrictions in the future,” Stephen Mansfield, Ledge Light Health District director, said by phone Friday. “There are tracking requirements for travelers who have come from China and that people who are not permanent residents or citizens won’t be able to return. So that’s in place now, but we don’t what’s going to be in place tomorrow or the next day.”

“If someone has scheduled a vacation to a country where there are currently no restrictions, that might change while they are out of the United States,” Mansfield said. “Everyone should consider the possibility that they could have delays or not be able to return to the U.S. when they want to. So, I’m sure the superintendents are taking that into consideration.”

The CDC and the state’s Department of Public Health have been making strides to disseminate information about the disease, how it is spreading and where it is moving. Mansfield said he has been keeping in regular contact with all the region’s superintendents, who also have been sharing information about the virus with parents, as was the case this week after he sent an email containing basic information about the coronavirus.

Mansfield said Ledge Light participates in weekly conference calls with the CDC and the state Department of Public Health.

To date, there are no patients under investigation for coronavirus in Connecticut and the state has had no confirmed cases, Gov. Ned Lamont said Friday during a news conference.

m.biekert@theday.com