Coronavirus: New Zealand schools put on notice following positive cases and pending tests

Schools around New Zealand have been put on notice after both parents and students have tested positive for coronavirus.

Parents of three Auckland schools have tested positive, meanwhile, two students were being tested for the virus: one from Hamilton and the other from south Auckland.

Elsewhere, none of the almost 150 close contacts of a Logan Park High School pupil Dunedin have tested positive for Covid-19.

The nationwide total for Covid-19 cases was 28, with eight new cases announced this afternoon by Director-General of Health Ashley Bloomfield.

A parent of a student at Takapuna Grammar School had tested positive, the Auckland Regional Public Health Service confirmed.

In an email to parents, the school said the parent had not visited school grounds while infectious and any risk was minimal.

The student, meanwhile, had not been symptomatic while they were at the school and remained in good health with the family self-isolating.

Unlike influenza, it was low risk a person could transmit the virus before they had symptoms.

"Takapuna Grammar has not been advised by the ARPHS to close at this time," the email to parents said in bold, underlined text.

It was a similar story for Western Springs College, which also had a parent of a student test positive with coronavirus, an ARPHS letter confirmed.

There was no need to close the school, the parent had not visited it while infectious, and the student was not symptomatic and in isolation at home.

A parent of a child at Ponsonby Primary School had also tested positive for coronavirus.

The school would be closed tomorrow but for a scheduled teacher-only day, parents were told in an email.

Board of trustees chairman Alan Webb said the board was not ready to say anything more yet, "We are still working our way through it."

In south Auckland, a new student to Pukekohe Intermediate School was being tested and was "present with symptoms" of the virus, parents were told.

"This student was tested today, and we are awaiting the results. We will provide you with more information as this comes to hand," an online post said.

"This situation continues to change, and we want to be sure we continue to be transparent in our communication and keep you updated on recent developments."

Elsewhere, a pupil of Hamilton East School, where 460 children are enrolled, was being tested for Covid-19 but the school remained open.

Hamilton East School principal Pippa Wright told the Herald the test results for the child are expected tomorrow.

Her understanding was the child's parents were a "local family" who had not travelled overseas.

Yesterday, parents of both Southland Boys' and Southland Girls' high schools were told about a parent who had tested positive.

The students are well and without symptoms, and there was minimal risk to other students, staff or others at the school, the Southern DHB said in a letter to parents of both schools.

In case the students developed the virus in the future, they would stay at home as a precaution - the entire family had entered self-isolation.

Meanwhile, the Ministry of Social Development office in Westgate, west Auckland, had been temporarily closed as a precaution after a staff member became unwell.

It is not known if they have the virus but they had been tested for it - the office was awaiting the results and should have them by Monday.

"The health, safety and wellbeing of our clients, staff and the community we serve is paramount," MSD regional commissioner Mark Goldsmith said.

"On the advice of Ministry of Health we will be keeping the service centre closed until we receive the results of the testing.

"We apologise for the inconvenience this may cause our clients and encourage people that need assistance to call us to discuss those needs."

Meanwhile, a visitor to the Cambridge Avantidrome had tested negative to coronavirus. The facility would reopen on Monday after it closed on Wednesday.

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