The school gates were flung open once more in Auckland yesterday, but not everyone was back in the classroom as many parents chose to keep their children at home amid the ongoing outbreak of Covid-19.
Principals say anxiety is high over community transmission of the virus this time around, with some schools reporting as little as a third of their students showing up for lessons yesterday.
It’s prompted a plea from dual Education and Health Minister Chris Hipkins. He says while he understands parents’ apprehension, it’s important for them to send their children to school.
“Their futures depend on this.”
Mr Hipkins will be on TVNZ’s Breakfast just after 7am to further explain the Government’s stance on the issue.
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Nats swoop on funding mess
Schools outside of Auckland were making headlines yesterday, too, with Greens co-leader James Shaw still dealing with the fallout over his role in the Government’s multi-million-dollar funding for a private “green school” in Taranaki.
Mr Shaw told student radio 95bFM he’s working to find a solution to the issue .
But National swooped on the controversy yesterday with party leader Judith Collins choosing to announce their education infrastructure policy at a state school in Taranaki.
National is promising to spend $4.8 billion on fast-tracking new schools if elected in October.
Their plans include funding for 60 new schools and many more classrooms to meet the demands of an extra 100,000 students over the next decade.
Cases close supermarket
Another Auckland supermarket has closed for deep cleaning after two visits by people who later tested positive for Covid-19. The visits to the Browns Bay Countdown were on August 18 and August 26.
It comes as five more cases of the virus were reported in the community yesterday, all connected to the Auckland cluster.
But as the “tail” of the cluster continues to throw up new cases, Aucklanders embraced the freedoms that came with the city’s shift to Alert Level 2.5 yesterday. Many of those people headed for the airport as they looked to travel out of the region for the first time in weeks.
And Kiwis travelling right around the country appeared to be complying with the new mask mandate on public transport, prompting praise from the police last night.
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern says she’s also pleased with the mask-wearing she saw during her visit to Auckland yesterday but adds the Government will be taking a “very cautious” approach to weighing up any changes to the current alert levels.
A review into those alert levels will be taken by September 6.
Cyber attack hit list grows
Authorities are still working to establish who's responsible for recent cyber attacks on New Zealand companies.
The NZX found its website under attack again yesterday, while media outlets Stuff and RNZ also revealed they had been the target of cyber attacks. Both of their sites remained secure.
Technology experts are now urging other businesses to look at their own security measures.
A recent study by telecommunications company 2degrees found 55 per cent of small business owners don’t care about cyber security but CEO Andrew Fairgray told TVNZ it’s important those businesses up their game in that area .
Govt commits to EQC changes
The Government is promising a major shake-up of the Earthquake Commission following a damning public inquiry into the way the EQC operated following the Canterbury earthquakes of 2010 and 2011.
The Government says it will act on all 70 of the recommendations made by Dame Silvia Cartwright in the report.
Greater Christchurch Regeneration Minister Megan Woods told RNZ’s Checkpoint yesterday cases of botched quake repairs are still being fielded by the EQC .
Other news of note this morning:
Firefighters say they've made good progress on a south Canterbury scrub fire - but the fight is far from over.
Judith Collins says her husband’s sharing of anti-Jacinda Ardern memes on social media is his own decision.
Investigations have failed to determine what caused a parked tourist bus to roll into an Auckland mother and daughter in January.
Mataura residents say they have their bags packed ready to evacuate after a third incident in six months threatened toxic waste being stored in the Southland town.
NIWA says this winter has officially been one of the warmest on record in New Zealand.
Stuff reports Hollywood stars Kirsten Dunst and Jesse Plemons have arrived in NZ and had their request to complete isolation at a rural property denied.
And Fair Go reports some kind Kiwis have stepped up after a Wellington teen lost $900 to a sketchy custom bike trader.
And finally...
As more of us don a mask to go about our daily business, many are pondering how exactly to convey friendliness when so much of our face is covered up.
Well, Seven Sharp’s presenters had a few ideas last night.
Hilary Barry tried raising her eyebrows in an attempt at the East Coast wave , however, as her co-host Jeremy Wells quite rightly pointed out, people might misconstrue her version as something more suggestive.
Jeremy also tried the Tyra Banks-approved “smize” (smiling with your eyes) – which looked exactly the same as his usual expression.
You can check out their efforts and take notes (or not) here .
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