February 14 2022
PM Jacinda Ardern says New Zealand will move to Phase 2 of our Omicron response from 11.59PM Tuesday.
Seventeen schools, kura, and early childhood centres in the Bay of Plenty-Waiariki region are managing Covid cases among students or staff.
A Western Bay primary school is in its second week of learning offsite due to an increasing number of cases, while a Rotorua secondary school has more than 40students in isolation following the news of a positive case in the community.
Ministry of Education data shows seven early learning services, seven primary and three secondary schools in the region dealing with cases.
Nationwide, 251 schools and early childhood centres were impacted.
At the Red traffic light setting, students could attend schools, early learning services and kura, however public health measures, including mask requirements for students aged 8 and older or Year 4 and up, were in place.
The Medical Officer of Health and Director of Education Bay of Plenty instructed principal Craig Haggo to move the school to an offsite learning situation for the remainder of last week.
Haggo said learning from home was continuing for students this week as there was "continuing to be further cases".
"We wanted to be sure we could ring fence the couple of cases which have stemmed out to others.
"We felt a break in having kids at school would slow the transmission."
Haggo said due to delays he was finding out about positive cases directly from the families themselves before contact tracers.
He had heard the illness was "pretty ugly" for Pongokawa children and parents with Omicron in the first three days.
Families he had spoken to had said this was followed by lethargy but then it "moved through pretty quickly".
The school community had been "hugely supportive" of the move to learn from home with devices being delivered to students that needed them over the weekend.
But he anticipated students would be able to return on-site next week unless directed otherwise.
"Everybody - including myself - would like to be back at school. And if it is considered safe that is exactly where we will be.
"I am still ever hopeful it will work through quickly and things will get back to normal."
Tauranga Girls' College principal Tara Kanji. Photo / George Novak
Meanwhile, last Thursday the Tauranga Girls' College community was informed a staff member had tested positive for Covid-19.
The staff member was at the college between February 1 and 3, a letter to parents said.
School principal Tara Kanji said there had been no further cases since the announcement and one close contact had returned a negative test.
The college remained stayed open and no students had been identified as close contacts.
She said the school was "prepared" for the Omicron outbreak which included a "hybrid" style of learning for those who were vulnerable and learning from home.
"I acknowledge this can and has heightened anxiety among students, their parents and staff," she said.
Mask-wearing among students and staff played a "critical" role in protecting everyone and school devices had been issued to those learning from home, she said.
"This assures the learner they have what they need to stay connected."
A "few" staff members presenting symptoms were also away this week but had returned initial negative tests, Kanji said.
But she said the "challenge" surrounding getting tested was the waiting time for results.
"Some colleagues have had to wait five days and that puts pressure on having relievers."
Kanji said the changes surrounding Covid-19 had increased her workload "significantly" but she had support from other principals to navigate the "rapidly changing" space.
Rotorua Girls' High School principal Sarah Davis. Photo / Andrew Warner
Rotorua Girls' High School principal Sarah Davis said a student at school last Tuesday and Wednesday had tested positive for Covid-19.
She had been absent from Thursday, Davis said.
The school had identified more than 40 students and around three staff members that were close contacts.
Davis said the school pastoral care systems were "up and running" and they had spent the morning getting in touch with affected whānau.
And all other schools in the Rotorua community had been made aware of the positive case.
She said it was "fortunate" the infected student had only been present at school for two days.
It was important the wider school community knew school remained open and health measures remained in place.
"It is a learning curve - but it is one that we are prepared for."
Davis said she could not "speak highly enough" of support from the Ministry of Education yesterday which was answering questions immediately.
"They have just been super helpful. That is absolutely crucial, just being able to get information straight away."
