Northland reaches 90% first dose: Covid cases in two schools, 12 new community cases

Whangārei Boys' High School has confirmed a Covid case in the school, as Northland nears the 90 per cent first vaccination milestone. Photo / Tania Whyte

Northland has finally reached 90 per cent of the eligible population having their first vaccination dose, but the news comes as 12 new cases infect the community today.

This morning, one of those cases was confirmed as a Whangārei Boys' High School student, while this afternoon Hikurangi Primary School sent a letter home informing their community of a COVID-19 case in their school.

In an email to families, Hikurangi School said they "have now completed the contact tracing process for the confirmed positive case."

Both schools remain open and are asking students to stay at home if they are unwell.

Northland DHB chief executive Dr Nick Chamberlain called the 90% first dose milestone "significant", while 4,610 people still need to have their second dose for Northland to be 90% double vaccinated.

Ministry of Health had reported 12 new community cases of Covid 19 in Northland today, while the Northland DHB has been notified of 8 new cases in the last 24 hours.

Northland DHB reported 3 cases in the Far North and 5 cases in Whangarei, which are under investigation to determine if they are linked to previous cases or not.

There are 144 active cases in Northland, while 116 cases have now recovered and have been released from isolation. Meanwhile, 30 cases have been detected at the border.

Two Big Boost events are coming to Northland this weekend in Dargaville and Kerikeri, focusing on booster vaccinations and five to 11-year-old vaccinations.

Whangārei Boys' High School has confirmed today on its Facebook page that there is a positive Covid case in the school.

Whangārei Boys' High School Principal Karen Gilbert-Smith said the school was alerted to the case yesterday afternoon and that after working through contact tracing the five close contacts were alerted yesterday.

"Because it was the first two days of school that the student was there it was really easy to track where they were during those times and who they were with."

Gilbert-Smith said the student who was at the school from February 1st to 2nd was safe and isolating at home with their family.

"Public health are supporting that whānau as they are all close contacts... the system has kicked in if you like."

Gilbert-Smith said the school was strictly following social distancing measures and that if students were outside together that "it would not constitute someone being a close contact."

Gilbert-Smith said "public health have been extremely helpful" and that contact tracing "was a reasonably straightforward process."

False information circulating on social media about Covid positive cases at Manaia View School led the school to make a Facebook post today quashing the rumours.

"We have been alerted to a rumour circulating on Facebook that we have cases of covid at school. No staff or students that have returned to school this year have covid. We have had no notification from the Ministry of Health of any positive students," the school announced on their Facebook page."

Manaia View School Principal Leanne Otene said she was pleased that parents were quick to contact the school regarding the rumours so they could address them "very quickly."

"We understand everyone is really anxious and that's why we put a post up there to alleviate everyone's concerns and reassure them that the school would be in contact with them if we had any students return with Covid," Otene said.

Otene said the school was providing masks and sanitisers for all of the students and are feeling "very well prepared."