With winter approaching, there is potential for more pressure on the health system, not just from Covid-19, but from the flu and other diseases such as RSV and measles. Now is a good time to prepare for this - get your boosters and your flu vaccination, ensure your tamariki are vaccinated against Covid-19, and make sure childhood immunisations such as MMR for your tamariki are up to date.
As a school we are offering flu vaccinations to all staff members, and these will be happening at school next week for staff who have opted in. With Covid vaccinations, boosters and flu shots, we will be feeling ready for winter!
Changes to our Covid Protection Framework
Key changes that have already happened recently :
Removal of outdoor capacity limits, meaning groups of any size can gather outdoors
Increased capacity limits when indoors at Red, moving from 100 to 200 (but still allowing for one-metre spacing) and no capacity limits indoors at Orange and Green
No requirement to display QR codes at any setting
No need to have alternate check-in systems for COVID-19 beyond our usual Vistab sign in process
No mask requirements when outdoors. Masks remain a requirement indoors at Red level for all staff, and for ākonga in Pōhutukawa Hub. Masks are also strongly recommended for ākonga in Harakeke Hub, especially our year 4 ākonga.
Key changes coming in at 11:59pm on Monday 4th April:
Removal of My Vaccine Pass from the framework
Removal of the vaccine mandate for staff and workers in early learning centres and schools, meaning it is not required for staff and workers at school to be vaccinated against Covid-19
Current Covid numbers at Amesbury School
The number of Covid cases at school is continuing to reduce, which is great to see.
We currently have 10 active cases of Covid in our school community (students and staff). We have 1 case of Covid-19 in Koru Hub, with this student having been at school prior to testing positive. We have 3 active cases in Harakeke Hub, with two of those cases being at school prior to testing positive. We have 4 active cases in Pōhutukawa Hub, with 3 of those cases being at school prior to testing positive. We also currently have one kaiako (teacher) and one admin staff member away with Covid, both of whom were already away from school isolating when they tested positive for Covid.
We are seeing a steady increase of ākonga returning to school, which is another pleasing sign. Our absence rate this week is the lowest we have had throughout March, and it is continuing to steadily reduce. We would like to continue to stress that being at school to learn, play and interact with other tamariki is the best place for all children, unless they are sick or need to isolate.
Now that we have had Covid cases in all three hubs and in all shared groups, we are not announcing each new case of Covid-19 to all parents and whānau in a hub. However, please be assured that whenever we have a case of Covid-19 where the student was present at school prior to being confirmed with Covid, we identify any particularly close contacts - tamariki who play or learn closely with the confirmed case, and we notify their whānau. We do not name anyone confirmed with Covid, but we let families know if their tamariki have been in particularly close contact with a confirmed case of Covid, so that you can monitor closely for symptoms.
Noho ora mai, stay safe and well.
Urs Cunningham
