Schools will start receiving a supply of rapid antigen tests from next week. Photo / Chris Weissenborn
Schools will start receiving a supply of rapid antigen tests from next week. Photo / Chris Weissenborn
Bay school leaders are "very much relieved" they will soon have access to hundreds of thousands of rapid antigen tests for symptomatic staff and students.
Ministry of Education figures released yesterday showed 59 per cent of schools in the Bay of Plenty and Waiariki region had been impacted by positive cases in the past 10 days.
This was 112 out of 190 schools.
Ministry of Education hautū (leader) operations and integration Sean Teddy said up until now, schools and kura had access to rapid antigen through the close contact exemption scheme.
Test kits would now be more widely available to schools and early learning services to give to any children, young people or staff who develop symptoms while at school.
Specialist schools, schools with special needs units and school hostels would receive additional supplies so their staff could complete twice-weekly testing.
Teddy said he expected tests to start arriving next week depending on pressures across the distribution network.
Tauranga Special School principal Barrie Wickens. Photo / George Novak
Tauranga Special School principal Barrie Wickens said he was "very much relieved" to be receiving a supply of rapid antigen tests for staff and students.
But he said it would have been "extremely helpful" if tests were more accessible weeks ago as Omicron cases rose in the community.
If introduced earlier it would have "avoided a lot of issues" of sending staff to community testing sites, he said.
Wickens said accessing tests through the close contact exemption scheme was "difficult" and "inefficient" for schools.
He said staff were "very fatigued" and students were "extremely vulnerable" so he hoped this move would help take some pressure off.
The school had 108 students and 100 teaching and support staff spread across seven locations, he said.
Otūmoetai College principal Russell Gordon. Photo / Supplied
Otūmoetai College principal Russell Gordon was "grateful" the school would soon be able to distribute tests to staff and students.
He said it would help with managing day-to-day management of staffing levels and increase face-face teaching.
"It is really important staff have access to them because testing straight away is really important.
"I am a fan of having our teachers in front of our kids. And to find ways to make that easier honestly, I am thrilled that will now be the case".
He said the school had a "running average" of about 19 staff away daily. Senior students had been learning from home on Wednesday, Thursday and Fridays last week and the week before.
All year levels returned to school this week.
He was particularly concerned that Covid had impacted every year of secondary schooling for Year 11 students.
"All they have known is an interrupted year," he said.
"So we have made the decision no matter what moving forward our Year 11 kids will not be sent home. We will do everything we can to ensure continuity of face-to-face connection for the rest of the year."
Rotorua Intermediate principal Garry de Thierry. Photo / Andrew Warner
Elsewhere, Rotorua Intermediate principal Garry de Thierry said the move was a "win-win" for the staff, students and family members.
"It's positive we are getting that supply of tests. Some of our parents have issues with transportation, or they have young ones and they can't get out of the house," he said,
"It's so much easier for us to provide the tests."
He said it would help ensure the school could stay open and ensure the continuation of face-to-face learning. It would also help take pressure off working parents, he said.
"If we were to have to close due to not having enough staff, it is a huge impact on our school community."
De Thierry, who had recently recovered from the virus, said seven staff were away because of Covid-related issues.
Education and Covid-19 Response Minister Chris Hipkins said the goal of the opt-in scheme was to keep schools and early learning centres open.
He said it was a "voluntary, short-term measure while we get through the peak of the Omicron outbreak" that would be reviewed again in a few weeks.
