Focus Live: Ministry of Health give coronavirus update ahead of the Air New Zealand rescue flight touching down from Wuhan. Video / Mark Mitchell
Fifteen Toi Ohomai Institute of Technology international students are stuck in China due to travel restrictions imposed to prevent the spread of coronavirus.
They include both returning and new students who were due to come to New Zealand to study at the institute's Tauranga and Rotorua campuses in two weeks.
Most of the students were from Beijing and none were in or from Wuhan, the province at the centre of the deadly outbreak that has killed more than 400 and infected more than 20,000 worldwide.
On Monday, the Government placed a temporary entry restriction into New Zealand on all foreign nationals travelling from, or transiting through, mainland China.
It was to remain in place for up to 14 days. The position will be reviewed every 48 hours.
Toi Ohomai Institute of Technology will hold hand-washing workshops during O-Week. Photo / File
A Toi Ohomai spokeswoman said there was a lot of uncertainty around when the restrictions would be lifted.
The plan for each student would be reviewed on a case-by-case basis closer to the start of the first semester.
This could mean postponing the start date to the second semester or providing resources for the students to do the course online.
Toi Ohomai executive director people engagement and capability Keri-Anne Tane said urgent measures were being taken to change the travel routes for other students who had travel plans that included a China transit.
Tane said a Critical Response Team has been convened and would analyse any potential impact on staff and students.
She said the situation was being monitored closely via the Ministry of Health and Ministry of Education websites.
"Toi Ohomai is currently working with those impacted to provide accommodation and study support if required.
"Our goal is to ensure that the impact on our students' study is as minimal as possible."
Peter Richardson, head of international at the institute, said three staff trips to mainland China planned over the next three months had also been put on hold.
Three staff were scheduled to go to Chengdu in China's Sichuan province for an Aged Healthcare project in mid-February. Another three had planned to go to Beijing to meet with partner institutions and student recruitment, and two staff planned to go to Beijing to teach pathway students in April.
Anyone feeling unwell has been asked to not come to the campus.
During the institute's orientation week there would be a series of interactive "hand-washing" exercises for all students.
Toi Ohomai procedures for infectious disease incident have been reviewed over the past few days.
Just over 50 of those had not yet arrived in New Zealand, with around 40 of those to attend school.
A University of Waikato spokeswoman said the university, which has a Tauranga campus, was expected 800 new and returning students from China this year.
It estimated at least half of those were still in China but was working to contact all students and clarify their situation.
Only a relatively small number had been expected to study in Tauranga.
To date, the university had only asked one student to self-isolate.
Bay schools to feel impact
A Year 5 Chinese girl's first day back for the school year at Tauranga's Pillans Point School has been put on hold after she and her mother were unable to board their plane.
Principal Matt Simeon said when the travel restriction was lifted, the girl and her mother would go into a compulsory stand-down isolation period for 14 days in accordance with recommendations from the health and education ministries.
They would then need to have tests to confirm if they were clear of the virus. The family was co-operating, he said.
Pillans Point Primary School principal Matt Simeon. Photo / File
Simeon said it had been a "busy start to the year" for the international directors at colleges who were expecting students from China and managing the safety of students and families.
Simeon, who was also the chairman of Education Tauranga, said like the tourism industry, the travel restrictions would have on-going impacts the education sector.
He said the effect would be felt in Bay of Plenty schools, but not to a major extent.
"The number of Chinese students in Bay of Plenty schools is not huge," he said.
"In the primary sector, the majority of our [international students] are Korean and through the secondary sector, we've got a good sprinkling of Germans and Europeans and South Americans and many of the Asian countries, as well as China."
Procedures:
• Self-isolation for staff and students deemed high-risk
Staff and students deemed as high-risk - recently travelled or transited through mainland China - were to self-isolate for 14 days from the date they re-entered New Zealand.
This follows advice from the New Zealand Ministry of Health and New Zealand Ministry of Education.
• Staff travel to China postponed
• Constant communication with staff and students
Staff and students updated through the polytechnic's website, weekly emails, social media channels and company intranet.
The international team and people, engagement and capability teams are working closely with those directly impacted to provide support and advice.
