Hawke's Bay students get Covid tests before returning to school

A Lindisfarne College student tested positive for Covid. Photo / Warren Buckland

Students from two Hawke's Bay secondary schools who attended Hamilton's Soundsplash Festival can go back to school only if they test negative for Covid-19.

Lindisfarne College and Havelock North High School have received advice from the Ministry of Health (MOH) around telling students who attended the festival that they needed to get tested and isolate.

Lindisfarne College had one student who tested positive for Covid after attending the event.

Both schools were advising students who had attended the festival to return a negative test before they returned to school.

A spokesman for MOH said all festival attendees were being advised to get a test immediately, if they hadn't done so already.

He said attendees were being asked to advise the testing centre that they had been at the festival, and if symptoms developed, get tested and stay at home until they got a negative test result.

Lindisfarne College rector Stuart Hakeney said there had been no further positive tests of Covid, and all close contacts of the student who had tested positive were following MOH protocols.

"We are also ensuring the boarders, who returned yesterday [Sunday], are following MOH guidelines and are taking all the safety precautions we can."

Havelock North High School principal Greg Fenton said a number of students at the school had attended the concert.

"Parents were contacted yesterday asking that if their son/daughter attended the concert that in accordance with the advice from the MOH they should get a test and monitor for symptoms.

"We have asked that they present evidence of a negative test to the main office before returning to school later in the week."

Fenton told parents that in light of the issues around Soundsplash, and the risks to others, the planned year 13 assembly on January 31 was postponed until Friday, the first day of school for year 13 students.

The application process for year 13 committees would take place online, he said.

Soundsplash was held at Mystery Creek, Hamilton, over the weekend of January 21 to 23.

All attendees, staff and suppliers that were at Soundsplash between 6am, January 21, to 9..15am, January 23, are advised to get a Covid test immediately.