Covid 19 Omicron outbreak: RATs will help Rotorua, Bay of Plenty schools stay open - principal

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.

The Government announced on Wednesday nearly a million rapid antigen tests will be given to New Zealand schools, kura and early learning centres.

Ministry of Education figures released yesterday show 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.

Sunset Primary School principal Eden Chapman. Photo / Stephen Parker

Sunset Primary School principal Eden Chapman said he was "particularly happy" to now be able to give students and families tests to take home.

"It will save them the job of having to go out and get some."

But he was wary of the tests producing false negatives and said it could provide a "false sense of security" to people infected with the virus.

So far the school had "low numbers" of students and staff infected but many cautious families were keeping their children home anyway.

"We have six children are currently positive, but we have 50 kids away today," he said on Thursday.

"There are a lot of people who are being very cautious and trying to protect their children which we are not taking issue with at all."

The school had a roll size of 125.

Rotorua Intermediate School 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."

Rotorua Intermediate principal Garry de Thierry. Photo / Andrew Warner

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.

Elsewhere, 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 to use.

Tauranga Special School principal Barrie Wickens. Photo / George Novak

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 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-to-face teaching.

"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".

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.