Covid-19 Omicron outbreak: Cases confirmed at three Nelson schools

Three Nelson schools have confirmed they have Covid-19 cases in their community.

The Nelson Marlborough region recorded nine new cases of Covid-19 on Tuesday.

Letters sent to parents confirmed cases in Nayland College, Victory Primary School and the St Joseph's School community, prompting students to go into self-isolation.

Victory Primary School currently has 56 students and nine staff members isolating.

Principal Dan George says the school had anticipated such an event and had plans in place to cope.

"It just came a bit sooner than expected."

The members are a mixture of teachers and support, with the 56 students now engaged in distance learning.

George says the students are all coping very well.

"We are a resilient bunch here."

Nayland College confirmed in a letter to parents that a "small number" of students had been identified as close contacts of the student who was at school for a short time on Monday, February 14.

They had all been individually contacted.

Nelson Marlborough Health confirmed that a positive case had been identified in a Nelson workplace as well as positive cases presenting to Nelson Hospital's Emergency Department.

NMH medical officer of health, Dr Stephen Bridgman, said in a statement that we are shifting into a new phase of the Omicron response.

"We should act as if Omicron is in our community. This doesn't mean we need to be afraid, but does mean we need to be prepared."

A woman who has been named as a close contact of a confirmed case, who asked not to be named, said she waited for four hours at the Saxton Field testing site on Tuesday to receive a test.

She says that she only saw one testing tent and four nurses.

"I was just so confused as to how they knew about [the outbreak] but were unprepared."

She says that when she got her booster shot on Saturday that there were lots of nurses, so the apparent lack of them at the Saxton Field testing site surprised her.

She says that the long wait time was ridiculous and was concerned that it would put people off being tested.

A Ministry of Health statement says they are anticipating continued high demand at Covid-19 testing sites.

"So our request is to, please, be patient. Our frontline staff across the health sector are doing the best they can to help in a timely way," the statement said.

744 new cases were announced across the country on Tuesday, including nine in the Nelson Marlborough region.

Vaccination uptake remains high with 97 per cent of those in Nelson Marlborough having had their first dose and 95 per cent with second doses.

The deadline for the health and disability sector to have their vaccine booster under the Covid-19 Public Health Response (Vaccinations) Order has been extended until 11.59pm on Thursday, February 24.

These new dates will also apply to any workers covered by the health mandated dates because of the work they undertake in Corrections, FENZ, Defence, Education and Police.

- Nelson Weekly