14 Hawke's Bay schools in all have been affected with roughly 1000 students impacted by drop in bus routes. Photo / File
14 Hawke's Bay schools in all have been affected with roughly 1000 students impacted by drop in bus routes. Photo / File
Around 1000 Hawke's Bay students had to find a new way to get to school this morning after a local bus company cut its services because many of its staff are in self-isolation.
On Saturday Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern announced that has been put into Alert Level 2, putting in place many restrictions on travel and people, one being that those over 70 or with medical conditions are advised to remain at home.
Nimon and Sons Ltd General Manager Katie Nimon said over half of its driving staff were either over 70 or had vulnerable health.
She said that they have 27 drivers in self isolation including some drivers that operated while the cruise ship Ruby Princess visited Napier Port on 15 March, but could not confirm how many worked with the cruise ship.
They are able to return to work on Wednesday, following Ministry of Health guidelines, after showing no signs of symptoms, but Nimon said that many will need to remain home as they are over 70.
"Although most of our drivers wanted to stay at work, the Ministry of Education since advised that from Monday the 23rd, they won't allow any of those vulnerable people to be driving school buses," she said.
"We have had to make the decision to suspend a portion of our services due to lack of available drivers."
Nimon confirmed 14 schools in all had been affected with roughly 1000 students impacted but said that they managed to change drivers to lessen the impact on students and schools.
"We have endeavoured to suspend services that are closer to the school, to ensure that we are impacting parents as little as possible," Nimon said.
Many of Nimons other services have been stopped due to the virus with school routes the only ones continuing. Photo / Paul Taylor
"Country buses and buses travelling from further afield are still operating. Unfortunately, due to only receiving this information last night, we have only been able to give schools a day's notice."
The affected schools have been notified, and have been getting in contact with parents.
"All schools have been really understanding, and know that the driver's health and wellbeing is important."
Nimon said they have advised parents and schools to make alternate arrangements such as carpooling or driving their children to school for the rest of the term as they hope to be able to bring the service back for next term depending on how the situation develops.
Napier Boys' High School had four of its bus routes dropped: Tamatea, Taradale, Clive and Seafield Road Extension, which affected around 150 students and causing a drop of 10 per cent in the schools total attendance today.
The school did not wish to comment much on the situation as it is ever changing but said everyone had received great support from the community and Ministry of Education.
They could confirm that plans for remote teaching were being finalised and that in the case of school closures students would continue to be able to be taught.
Nimon said it was not just some school routes that have been cut with all of its other work been cancelled by customers due to Covid-19, with events being cancelled and tourists not able to arrive.
