A Starship Hospital paediatrician is reassuring Kiwi parents concerned about their children returning to school this week during Delta Level 2 that their kids will be safe.
Dr Jin Russell, a developmental paediatrician whose PHD looked at growing up in New Zealand, told Breakfast on Thursday she understood the concerns of many parents seeing their kids return to the classroom.
“I want to reassure all the parents and students that school is absolutely the right to place to be in Level 2,” Russell said.
“If you’re outside of Auckland and you’re in Level 2, the chances your child is going to catch Covid-19 in school is very low.”
Russell said her confidence stemmed from a combination of social distancing practices, vaccinations and other protocols schools were implementing to keep students safe.
“There’s a number of things that we have to remember that schools can do to drive down the risk of transmission of any virus,” Russell said.
“Not only do we have a low risk of community transmission but there are extra measures that are being put in place.
“Distancing, keeping students in small groups so they’re cohorting and doing as many activities as they can and vaccination…this combination of measures all put together is very effective in driving down any risks.”
Russell did suggest that students, especially those in secondary school, should wear masks where possible and any signs of symptoms should be met with a test as soon as possible.
With school back on Thursday for those in Alert Level 2, Nelson College headmaster Richard Dykes told Breakfast he was "really excited and stoked" to welcome rangitahi back.
School is back Thursday in parts of the country in Alert Level 2. (Source: Other)
He said the focus for day would be students' well-being and had asked the students to respect the Government's recommendation masks be worn.
Dykes felt the Government had struck the right balance by it being "highly encouraged" rather than mandatory. NCEA exams being pushed back by two weeks had taken away students anxiety, he said, and there was "really clear guidance" from NZQA on how it would work.
Newlands Intermediate principal Angela Lowe said the focus for the next few days would be getting the students back into a routine and re-establishing connections with their friends and classmates.
With masks "highly encouraged" to be worn by those over 12, she said she had also encouraged her students to wear masks, but they did not have to if they did not want to or couldn't.
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