Covid 19 Delta outbreak: Tahatai Coast School in Pāpāmoa closed after possible case in school community

Tahatai Coast School will be closed tomorrow after a possible Covid case in the school community. Photo / Google

A Pāpāmoa primary school will be closed Friday due to the "strong likelihood" there is Covid-19 case among the school community.

In an email to parents, Tahatai Coast School principal Matt Skilton said there was a possibility someone in the school community had tested positive for Covid-19.

"This afternoon we received information from the Ministry of Health that there is a strong likelihood of a positive Covid-19 result within our Tahatai Coast School community," Skilton said.

Health officials yesterday revealed two new cases in the Bay of Plenty - one in Mount Maunganui and the other in Tauranga.

The Tauranga case came in after the official 9am cut-off time for reporting and will be formally included in tomorrow's figures.

Based on advice from the Ministry of Health, the school will be closed on Friday allowing all staff and students to get tested.

A specific testing station will be set up at the school from Friday morning.

It is understood there are between 700 and 800 students at Tahatai Coast School.

Skilton said the school is working with the Ministry of Health and Ministry of Education. Close contacts of the possible case will be contacted by the Ministry of Health, he said.

Tauranga MP Simon Bridges said his office was aware of cases in Mount Maunganui and Pyes Pā.

"I had heard that that's the case. I think in the end this was inevitable, we're going to see this around New Zealand. That doesn't though mean it's not concerning and I acknowledge there'll be a lot of locals in Tauranga who will be concerned.

"I think the best we can say is if you're not vaccinated, get on to it. If you've got symptoms, obviously get tested. In the end though, what's also true is life has to go on, and the people of Tauranga and the Western Bay are resilient. I think they will, in a no-nonsense way, get on with it."

Bridges said Covid-19 was first detected in the wastewater in the Tauranga area about a week ago, and said he felt it was possible there had been a positive case in the community for a week.