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Meghan Lawrence / Stuff
21012016. News photo. MEGHAN LAWRENCE / FAIRFAX NZ. Chapel Downs Elementary School.
This story was originally posted on RNZ.co.nz and is being republished with permission.
A mother is frustrated that it took two days for parents to discover that a student at her son’s school tested positive for coronavirus.
The boy was only at Chapel Downs Elementary School for half an hour Monday morning and was confirmed to be positive that afternoon, but letters were only sent to staff and families on Wednesday.
They were awaiting the result of a Covid test when they attended.
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A student who contracted the virus spent little time at the Auckland school.
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Now the Auckland Regional Public Health Service is asking everyone who was there on Monday morning (staff and students) to take a test and not interact with people outside their family until they give a negative test.
Ramona Ah Fook, a pregnant mother of two at the school, said that the morning period is busy and that children in all classes would be close to each other.
“There’s a front entrance and a back entrance … When you walk through the school gates, everyone huddles. There isn’t enough space so the kids breathe each other,” said Ah Fook.
The school was closed for cleaning until Monday at the earliest.
Ah Fook was furious, it took him two days to find out about the positive case.
“They have absolutely no right to support our children, or allow them, to go to a place where Covid existed for two whole days. And now they have decided to close the school for a complete cleaning.”
The Auckland Regional Public Health Service said in a statement that Wednesday’s notification to staff and parents was “as soon as the events are confirmed on Wednesday.”
“It is understandable that some parents are upset that they did not find out until Wednesday, however this information was shared as soon as the facts were confirmed on Wednesday,” the statement said.
“ARPHS decided to close the school while investigating the child’s movements and the risk to others. ARPHS also needed to identify close contacts who are most at risk and need to be in self-isolation.”
A “very small” number had been determined to be close contacts, but no number was given.
“The child who was briefly in school had no symptoms, but was waiting for the results of a Covid-19 test on September 13. The child left school before the children started classes for the day, further reducing the risk to the school community. “
The boy and his family are now isolated, under the control of the health authorities.
The case has sparked a flood of tests at the nearby Ōtara test center. A nurse there, Alaviola Pomana, said that many more families related to the school attended yesterday and today.
“A lot of kids, probably 20 or more. I think they’re scared,” he said.
The center’s clinical director, Andrew Chan Mow, said they were busy this morning.
“People are still apprehensive and concerned, but it’s good that they are answering the call to get tested.”
Auckland Regional Public Health said anyone else who was at school on Monday morning is considered a casual contact. As a precaution, it says that students and staff should be tested and kept away from outsiders until a negative result is obtained. Members of your family can lead normal lives.
Anyone who is considered a close contact will be contacted personally and asked to isolate themselves for 14 days.
The school will host a pop-up test site tomorrow and Saturday.
This story was originally posted on RNZ.co.nz and is being republished with permission.
