Covid 19 Omicron outbreak: Bay of Plenty school moves to offsite learning after students exposed

A Bay of Plenty school will move to offsite learning this week after students were determined to be close contacts to a Covid-19 case.

A notice posted to Pongakawa School parents and caregivers on Saturday advised that the Medical Officer of Health had said students who travelled on the afternoon Pukehina Bus on February 1 were now considered close contacts.

A testing station was set up at the school yesterday.

Pongakawa School principal Craig Haggo told parents and caregivers yesterday that the Medical Officer of Health and Director of Education Bay of Plenty instructed him to move the school to an offsite learning situation for the remainder of the week, opening again for onsite learning on Monday, February 14.

Pongakawa School. Photo / Google Maps

"It is felt there are too many variables involved here, including a bus run with students from across the school classified as close contacts," Haggo said.

"I would like to thank all those who were identified as having to take a test doing this today, your children were very brave."

In the notice, Haggo thanked the school's first case's family for moving quickly when the concern was raised.

"Our thoughts and best wishes are with this whānau and just know we are thinking of you at this time.

"It is important to understand it could have been any one of us that could have caught this awful virus and so I would ask that we don't speculate or get concerned about who. Pongakawa is a family and it is times like this we stick together, hang tough and show loads of aroha."

Haggo said he hoped this would be a short period of offsite learning and things would move back into a school setting next week on the date indicated.