A Hawke's Bay primary school where four children tested positive for Covid-19 has about 10 percent of its pupils and three teachers away self-isolating.
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Students and close contacts of the cases at Te Mata Primary School in Havelock North who are self isolating will have access to distance learning, while the rest of the 560-pupil school is on site.
Public health staff are following up a number of close contacts.
The four children with Covid-19 are doing well and have minor or no symptoms, principal Patrice O'Connor said.
"We've got 55 children that are going to be away for the next 10 days, following that testing regime, just to ensure we are able to see what close contacts have been affected by this.
"We have one other child who is awaiting test results and then we have the other close contacts who will be going through the process of being tested today."
Three teachers were isolating at home and being tested today, O'Connor said.
O'Connor said the original cases were from a family who went away at the end of January and later had a birthday party.
Two students were at school at the end of last week while infectious and showed symptoms over the long weekend.
The school follows Covid-19 protocols with children split into different groups and using separate areas of the playground, classroom doors open with fans going inside, and pupils wearing masks, hand-sanitising and taking mask regular mask breaks outdoors, O'Connor told Morning Report.
"We knew that this would be coming, and with possibly it being Omicron and there's very few symptoms so far our parents are taking it in their stride and we've got excellent support and services around us.
"It is a quick lesson but it's one they've been working towards for the last two years.
"Our kids are very good at making sure they're coughing into their elbows and washing their hands regularly, and our staff are really great at making those simple but important processes part of every day life."
Bay of Plenty school with Covid case moves to distance learning
A Bay of Plenty primary school is moving to offsite learning because a student tested positive for Covid-19 at the weekend.
In a letter to parents, Pongakawa School principal Craig Haggo said there were too many variables involved, including a number of close contacts from the school bus, to keep school premises open. Students would be able to return on Monday.
Haggo said he was instructed to move to offsite learning by the medical officer of health and education officials.
