28-02-22 What OVS’s plan is… (when we get a positive case)

 

28/02/22

Kia ora koutou

 

With the new  Phase 3, only household contacts of confirmed cases are required to self-isolate. 

Schools are still operating under Red Settings with the main focus for us… ‘Minimising as much as possible, staff working across groups/classes of students’ (Red Setting).

What this means at Otaika Valley School…

• If your household has a positive covid case – please stay at home and isolate with your child (more official information below)
• Contact the school and let us know the reason for sickness eg positive COVID test result – this will allow teachers to make decisions around providing hybrid learning for your child
• Ensure tamariki, students or staff members with COVID-19 symptoms get a COVID-19 test and remain at home until a negative result is received and they are symptom free for 24 hours.
• Please do not send your children to school if unwell so that we can keep as many students/staff at school for as long as possible
• If a teacher is a household contact or a positive case, they will isolate at home and continue with hybrid learning if they are well enough
• The school will attempt to fill the teachers position for 10 days (or more?) while the teacher is isolating
• If a reliever is not available then that class may move to hybrid learning at home  – depending on the number of students affected
• If we are unable to find a reliever for all or some of the days, we will not be able to spread students across other rooms due to the H&S guidelines under Red Setting

 

 

 

The school remains focussed using health measures with the CPF (Covid Protection Framework) to keep students at school learning and parents working.  School’s in Whangarei and the rest of the country are starting to have more cases of student and school staff testing positive.  We have prepared our learning model and increased our reliever contacts throughout the end of last year and this year to be in the best position possible to meet the challenges ahead.  It is anticipated that we will struggle for relievers.

 

Please read below for confirmed case guidance

 

Stay well

 

Kind regards

 

Terry

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Schools connected to a confirmed case

• What cases and contacts need to do in Phase 3
• What to do if there is a confirmed COVID-19 case in your school

What cases and contacts need to do in Phase 3

In addition to below guidelines, stay home if you’re feeling unwell. If cases remain unwell, they should seek additional health advice.

 

For more information about what to do if you are a case or contact, and for information about the support available in the different phases, please visit the Unite Against COVID-19 website.

(external link)

If you have COVID-19:

• You will be notified by text. If you do not have a mobile number, you will receive a call.
• You will be asked to complete an online COVID-19 contact tracing form if possible.
• If you can’t do this, we will call you to complete this over the phone.
• Cases are advised to notify your household, workplace and/or education setting.
• You should also let your close contacts know you have tested positive. These are people you spent time within close vicinity when not wearing a mask eg, your partner or close friends.
• You will need to self-isolate at home for 10 days from when you got tested or when your symptoms started.
• Avoid contact with other household members to the greatest extent possible during your isolation period.
• Wear a mask and physically distance in shared spaces during your isolation.
• You can end your self-isolation after 10 days – you may receive a text message confirming the end of your isolation. You do not need to wait for an official message or release to leave isolation.

If you are a household contact

• You may be notified that you are a household contact by a person that you live with who has COVID-19, or by text.
• If you live with someone who has been confirmed to have COVID-19, you need to self-isolate:
  • from the day that the case receives their positive test result (or is notified as probable)
  • until the case completes their 10 days of self-isolation.
• You need to get a RAT test on day 3 and day 10 of the case’s (person with COVID-19) isolation period, and a test if you develop any COVID-19 symptoms. You will be advised how to access free RATs.
• If any of these tests return a positive result, you are a ‘case’ and need to isolate for 10 days from either the day of symptom onset or the day you get a positive result.
• Avoid or minimise contact with the person with COVID-19 to the greatest extent possible during your isolation at home.
• You can end your self-isolation on the same day as the (first) person with COVID-19 in the household, provided all of your tests were negative including your day 10 test.