Covid-19 Omicron outbreak: Managing school bus services in the Lakes as cases increase

Pongokawa School. Photo / Andrew Warner

A Rotorua school leader has expressed concern about the transmission of Covid-19 on school buses as case numbers rise in the region.

John Paul College principal Patrick Walsh says school buses are "high-risk" environments with little social distancing and bring about contact tracing difficulties.

This comes as there were 35 new cases in the Lakes District Health Board area recorded yesterday - an increase of 30 on the previous day.

Pongokawa School students had been learning offsite as pupils who used a school bus service were deemed close contacts. More cases among students meant this would continue for the rest of the week.

And nearby school Te Puke Primary School had alerted the community about a student who tested positive after using the school bus service on Friday.

All students aged 8 and up must wear a mask on all school transport services in red and orange settings.

A bulletin issued to principals on February 3 by the Ministry of Education said drivers were not required to enforce the wearing of masks but should report non-compliance to the school.

Schools were expected to manage any non-compliance, it said.

Another ministry bulletin issued on February 15 said there were "many layers" of protection in place on school buses.

This included mandated vaccination for bus drivers, people unwell not travelling, increasing rates of vaccination among youth, mask-wearing and good cough and sneeze etiquette.

Twenty schools, kura, and early childhood centres in the Bay of Plenty-Waiariki region were managing Covid cases as of 10.30am yesterday .

The data is a snapshot of the early learning services and schools the ministry is supporting with case management and contact tracing.

It shows eight early learning services, eight primary, one intermediate and three secondary schools in the region dealing with cases.

John Paul College principal Patrick Walsh said the spread of Covid on school buses was a "worry" for him.

"It is a very high-risk area and all we can do is send the appropriate messaging to students around it," he said.

"The buses are really full so there is no social distancing and when the buses arrive it is very difficult to police wearing masks."

John Paul College principal Patrick Walsh. Photo / Andrew Warner

Between 200 and 250 John Paul College pupils relied on the Ministry of Education-funded bus services shared with other secondary schools.

"We have hundreds of kids arrive at school on buses. They are mixing with students from other schools."

He believed contact tracing would be "difficult" in this situation as some students caught different buses day to day.

And he said some nervous parents were had opted to drive their children to school this year.

"We know some parents are so concerned about it they don't let their children get on the bus."

At Kaitao Intermediate about 50 students relied on the school bus service to get to and from school.

Principal Phil Palfrey said students followed "normal protocol" to reduce the risk of transmission on school buses.

Masks are required for those aged 8 and up on school transport. Photo / George Novak

"They have to wear masks and if they are sick they are not supposed to be on the bus."

He was unsure if fewer students were using the bus service this year but said some students were yet to return to the classroom.

Rotorua Intermediate did not have a designated bus service but principal Garry de Thierry said some students used public transport to travel to school.

He said there had been no issues around mask-compliance with students using public buses.

"Students have been exceptionally good in these challenging times. It has become more and more become common practice that you do have your mask."

Only about 15 students caught the bus to school with the majority being driven by parents, biking, walking or riding e-scooters as a means of transport.

Like Rotorua Intermediate, Westbrook School also did not have a designated bus service for students.

But principal Colin Watkins said students were kept in class bubbles when using buses to travel off site during school time.

"Next week all of our senior kids are going to the aquatic centre for swimming lessons. What we have arranged is only one class will travel at any time on the one bus."

Kaitao Intermediate School principal Phil Palfrey. Photo / Andrew Warner

He said this avoided "mixing of bubbles" and "cross-contamination of year levels".

"We have that luxury but rural schools and secondary schools have got all kids travelling on buses so they have got a much bigger issue."

Meanwhile, in Te Puke Pongokawa School students had been learning offsite for the past week after children who used a school bus service were deemed close contacts.

School principal Craig Haggo said learning from home was continuing for students this week as there was "continuing to be further cases".

Haggo said "a number" of students in and around Te Puke relied on the school bus service and many of these buses contained students from multiple schools.

"It's a unique situation that city schools won't necessarily face in the same way - they'll have their own challenges."

He thought children at city schools would tend to go to school by car, scooters or bikes.

"Whereas in a rural setting, for Pongakawa for instance, I would think 85 per cent of our students come to school by bus so that creates in and of itself challenges that a city school may not face."

University of Auckland aerosol chemist Dr Joel Rindelaub said any time in an enclosed area with limited airflow there would be an "increased risk" of Covid transmission.

He said like all public transportation, school buses were high-risk environments that needed to be well ventilated.

"If you can open windows that is going to be the best way to get clean airflow into that indoor environment," he said.

"Otherwise, of course making sure students are wearing masks for the duration of their travels will be a measure you can use to try to reduce that risk."