A parent of two Southland high school pupils has tested positive with coronavirus.
The pupils - one at Southland Boys' High School, the other at Southland Girls' - were well and without symptoms, and there was minimal risk to other students, staff or others at the schools, the Southern District Health Board said in letters to parents.
In case either of the pupils developed the virus, they would stay at home as a precaution. The entire family had entered self-isolation.
The news comes after one of eight new coronavirus cases today was announced as living in Invercargill.
Four of the other seven patients were in Auckland, two in Waikato and one in Christchurch - there were now 20 confirmed cases nationwide.
Contact tracing for the Invercargill patient was under way and any close contacts would be advised to self-isolate for 14 days from when they were in contact.
People were not at risk if they had been in contact with someone considered a close contact - as the close contact did not have the virus.
"Contacts of close contacts do not have to take any action such as self-isolating themselves," the DHB said.
