He Pitopito Kōrero
COVID-19 update - 15 October 2021
He Pitopito Kōrero
Ngā mihi o te Rāmere,
Way back at the beginning of the latest outbreak, I commented that “three COVID days always seem like six ordinary days”. I don’t know about you, but this week has felt a bit like that again.
The queries are still coming, but as I noted yesterday, it’s challenging to be able to provide clear guidance without the Public Health Orders which will put the Government’s decisions to mandate vaccinations and testing into effect.
The Health Order to support testing looks set to be published tonight, and we are aiming to provide you with full guidance on what testing requirements mean for schools from an employment perspective on Monday. A Health Order to support vaccinations is not expected until next week.
In the meantime, we are providing clarity on the testing requirements for those of you in Alert Level 3, when staff can return on site and what being fully vaccinated means.
We have also today talked with representatives of all of the District Health Boards to discuss how we can support this. We have seen surges in Alert Level 3 areas as educators and other staff seek testing in advance of a limited return on Monday. If you haven’t had a test and you intend to be on site from Monday, I encourage you to get a test as soon as possible. If you’re not sure where to do that, find a helpful website below.
At this time, test results are taking one to two days to return. You will need to plan your test so that you have a result in time. Equally, if you are working remotely from Monday and do not have symptoms, you may want to wait and get a test next week. Remember you need to have a negative test result within five days of returning on site at Alert Level 3.
I apologise for any confusion caused by the communication around preparing for opening and the need for negative testing. To clarify, you will have 48 hours to prepare if there is a change down to Alert Level 2 – testing is only required in Alert Level 3. Of course, if you are ready to reopen, you can do so as soon as an alert level change comes into effect.
Once again, your governance and leadership through this change is incredibly important. How we react as a sector and how we prepare for staff and tamariki returning to school will be a mark of the profession. Thank you for this – another momentous step up that this pandemic has required.
Your Regional Director of Education and their teams are available to provide advice and support, I encourage you to contact them.
Kia kaha,
Iona
Vaccine and testing register
Following the Government’s announcement asking for a vaccine and testing register of education workers and eligible students, we have created the following documents for your use.
However, if you have another system that captures the information required that works better for you, you are free to use that. We are working on a consistent secure tool for Term 1 next year.
Privacy statement for education workers [DOCX, 18 KB]
Privacy statement for eligible students [DOCX, 17 KB]
Vaccination register spreadsheet for the education workers [XLSX, 55 KB]
Vaccination register spreadsheet for eligible students [XLSX, 93 KB]
Schools and kura should complete these in a secure and confidential manner in line with their usual obligations under the Privacy Act 2020. Given the sensitivity of the information being collected, schools and kura should ensure that unauthorised access to the information is not able to occur.
We anticipate that there will be significant public interest in vaccination status, particularly from 15 November. We will work with you on how we can best meet that interest in an secure and low compliance manner.
For advice contact Data.Team@education.govt.nz.
Clarification on testing requirements for Alert Level 3 regions
Everyone working in a school or kura in Auckland and other Alert Level 3 regions (regardless of vaccination status) will be required to return a negative COVID-19 result ahead of returning physically to a school. Preferably the test will be done within 72 hours of returning to school, but up to five days before will suffice.
All staff members must have returned an initial negative test in order to return to work.
Weekly testing at Alert Level 3
When a region is at Alert Level 3, follow-up tests will be required on a weekly basis for all staff who are not fully vaccinated. (See ‘Being fully vaccinated’ below for further details.)
Weekly testing for COVID-19 will be required if:
- the school is in an Alert Level 3 region and
- the staff member is not fully vaccinated.
Staff will not be required to isolate after their follow-up tests unless they are:
- experiencing COVID-19 symptoms
- a casual plus contact
- a close contact who is experiencing COVID-19 symptoms
- a household member of a close contact
- a household member of a close contact who is experiencing COVID-19 symptoms.
Once a staff member becomes fully vaccinated, regular testing will no longer be required for them to continue to work on site.
Being fully vaccinated
- You are considered fully vaccinated when you have received your second dose of the vaccine for COVID-19.
- You are considered to be fully immunised two weeks after having received your second dose of the vaccine.
The requirement for weekly testing in Alert Level 3 regions is until you are fully vaccinated. So as soon as you receive your second dose, there is no need for continued testing.
It is important to note however, that even if you are undergoing weekly testing or if you are fully vaccinated, if you start to experience any symptoms that could be related to COVID-19, you must stay at home and seek advice about getting tested.
The time from being exposed to the virus, until a person tests positive is shorter for the Delta variant. This means that on average, a person may be infectious for one to two days before they develop symptoms.
Vaccine requirements and contractors
We’ve had a number of queries about the contractors schools may have on site. While we can’t provide a definitive answer ahead of the Health Order, we anticipate that the vaccination requirements will not apply to employees or workers who will not have contact with a child or student in the process of providing their service.
Contact with a child/student means either by directly having contact with the child/student by being on site during opening hours and having contact with a worker who has direct contact with a child/student.
As always, we recommend you exercise caution. If there is any doubt, contractors should comply with the testing and vaccination requirements.
Where to get tested
If you are not sure where you can get a test, please use the following link to find a GP, urgent care clinic or community testing centre near you.
Face coverings on school transport
As noted yesterday, there will be new requirements to wear face coverings on school transport for ages 12 and over.
We will notify you when this takes effect following inclusion in the Health Response Order.
Face coverings on school transport – School Bulletin 14 October
End-of-year applications for ORS and SHHNF
To receive a decision about your Ongoing Resourcing Scheme (ORS) and School High Health Needs Fund (SHHNF) applications this school year, email applications to manager.eligibility@education.govt.nz by 5pm Friday 12 November.
The verifiers consider applications up until the office closes for the Christmas/new year period and they start considering applications again when they return to the office in the new year.
For all applications received after the 12 November, decisions may not be available before the end of the school year. Please note this is one of our busiest times of the year and we will endeavour to get decisions to you as soon as possible.
There is no cut-off date for applications for the school year and they can be submitted at any time.
The aim of the application process is to ensure that all students who are eligible are included in the ORS. If there is not enough information in applications to make a decision or the information is contradictory, the verifiers will request additional information. Often towards the end of the term and year end there is a noticeable increase in the additional information requests the verifiers need to ask for.
Educators can help timely consideration and decision-making by referring to the ORS guidelines before they start applications, ensuring they include all relevant information and that the application does not include contradictory and/or unsubstantiated information.