The Southern district is experiencing the ‘long tail’ of the Covid-19 outbreak, and Wānaka’s largest school is feeling the effects.

Eighty-eight percent of Mount Aspiring College (MAC) students attended school last week (the first week of the term), but by Monday just 82 percent made it to class.

MAC principal Nicola Jacobsen told the Wānaka App she would expect student attendance to be above 90 percent without Covid-19.

More staff were currently also calling in sick with Covid-19, which together contributed to the “increase in the level of disruption”.

As a result of the number of cases, Year 13 students were rostered to study from home yesterday (Wednesday May 11); and year 12 students are rostered home today (Thursday). 

Nicola said staff and students are coping well and said rostered ‘home’ days are not new to the students. 

“I am anticipating that the disruption will continue, however, we will be doing our best to maintain continuity for students in terms of their learning.”

The Southern District Health Board (SDHB) said Covid-19 infections will continue to be widespread in Southern communities for the foreseeable future and people should remain vigilant when out in the community.

“As a community we need to accept that Covid-19 is with us for now, and make choices accordingly,” SDHB Covid-19 response lead Dr Hywel Lloyd said. 

Upper Clutha primary schools have not reported the same impact from Covid-19 in student and staff attendance. 

Wānaka Primary School has had “minimal student and staff cases”, principal Wendy Bamford told the Wānaka App; Hāwea Flat School principal Tania Pringle said fewer than 25 percent of students and staff had been tested positive for Covid-19; and Te Kura O Take Kārara principal Jodie Howard said the school is dealing with only “a handful” of cases each week. 

“I feel the 'long tail' is to be expected due to the measures we have at school slowing the spread down so it does mean it has taken longer and at a slower rate to move through our school community. It will be interesting to see how we fare with the 'normal cold and winter illness' coming our way this season,” Jodie said.

Holy Family School principal Jo McKay told the Wānaka App the school had “kept tight” on mask wearing for staff and students after the move to the Covid-19 orange alert level at the start of this term, and had not seen an increase in absences or Covid-19 cases.

There were 119 new cases of Covid-19 in Queenstown Lakes district yesterday, the SDHB reported, with an active total of 687 cases. The wider Southern region reported 744 new positive cases, with an active total of 5,125.