South Dunedin neighbours King’s and Queen’s High Schools are the latest southern educational facilities to have recorded cases of Covid-19.
Schools in Queenstown and Gore are known to have had cases of the virus, as well as some Dunedin primary schools and early childhood facilities.
Although a former staff member still resident on the Otago Boys’ High School campus has had a brush with the disease, the case at Queen’s was believed to be the first confirmed case in a Dunedin secondary school in the current outbreak.
Queen’s principal Barbara Agnew said pupils from a single classroom, and no staff members, were classed as contacts, and that the school community had been notified at the weekend.
"We are working with the Ministry of Education and Ministry of Health to ensure that all the right procedures and in place and the right protocols are followed and we are following the guidance they give us," she said.
Some pupils were voluntarily staying away from school if they were immune-compromised or had vulnerable people in their families, but otherwise it was business as usual at the school, Ms Agnew said.
King’s rector Nick McIvor said only a small number of boys were associated with the case identified at his school, and staff had been tracing who they had come into contact with at break times.
"We have pretty much been on a countdown waiting for our first cases to appear and we fully expect that there will be more.
"We have been preparing for it, and it came today ... you don’t have a school the size of ours, or the size of the other high schools in Dunedin, without having a moment like this coming along."
A small group of boys was isolating, and all families with sons at Kings had been informed of the case.
The school was taking a "calm, measured approach" and following health guidelines, Mr McIvor said.
"Boys with symptoms have been asked to stay home, but otherwise school is open for instruction."
Southern District Health Board paediatrician and paediatric infectious disease specialist Dr Kara DuBray said most cases of Covid-19 in children could be expected to be mild, ranging from asymptomatic to mild cold symptoms such as a runny nose and cough.
"Severe cases including respiratory failure and death are uncommon in children, but there is higher risk in unvaccinated teenagers and other designated high-risk groups."
The Covid-19 vaccine was highly effective for children, and the risks associated with catching Covid far outweighed the very rare side effects from vaccines, Dr DuBray said.
"There will be risk of spread in any area in which large groups are gathering including schools, and the best protection will be making sure that anyone who is eligible is vaccinated within the household."
Both the children’s and neonatal wards in Dunedin and Invercargill had set up designated rooms for patients with Covid-19, and staff had undergone training in the use of personal protective equipment to keep themselves and patients safe, Dr DuBray said.
