Covid still packing a punch

The spread of Covid-19 may have passed its peak, but the virus has still forced one Taranaki school to go online for the rest of this week because of staff absences and a shortage of relief teachers.

Inglewood High School’s decision came as a predicted fresh wave of Omicron variant infections, and a rising hospitalisation rate, saw the Government extend the orange alert setting for at least another month.

‘‘While daily case numbers have flattened nationally, they are again beginning to increase in the Northern region and hospitalisation rates have also increased slightly over the past month,’’ Covid-19 Response Minister Chris Hipkins said in a statement yesterday.

‘‘In addition, our latest Covid19 modelling indicates that under current conditions, there is a likelihood of a secondary wave of cases appearing.’’

Meanwhile, Taranaki recorded the death of another person with Covid-19 yesterday, bringing the region’s total to 22.

Rosey Mabin, Inglewood High School principal and chair of the Taranaki Secondary Schools’ Principals Association, said when Covid was added to other absences and a lack of relief teachers, life became difficult.

‘‘That just makes it worse. People have to isolate for seven days if their children get Covid.’’

Over the past seven or eight years, the number of students in Taranaki had increased, so many relief teachers now had full-time jobs, Mabin said.

‘‘Covid has put pressure on the pool of relievers. Once they would work for a day or two, now they get a week’s work.’’

She added: ‘‘The way schools and businesses are being asked to function isn’t sustainable in the long term. Nor is it good for people’s wellbeing.

‘‘I think people are sick of it. It’s pretty much all that people talk about and think about. It’s unhealthy.’’

The school has about 480 students, and normal classes will resume on Monday.

Omicron peaked in Taranaki on March 28, when the rolling seven-day average of reported cases hit 588.

Gillian Campbell, Taranaki District Health Board chief operating officer, said this month’s seven-day rolling average of reported cases had been near 200.

A small increase was seen between May 12 and May 18, but it had been falling since then.

‘‘Wastewater viral loads also vary across the region and some small increases were observed for the week ending May 15.’’

Changes in alert levels, opening of international borders, and the change to the winter season all impact on how Covid may move through the population and

variations in community case numbers are anticipated.

‘‘It is likely that, as observed in other countries, a second, smaller Covid peak is possible through the winter months.’’ To date, there is insufficient evidence to suggest that there has been a resurgence of Covid in Taranaki, Campbell said.

Last week Taranaki DHB said there was the possibility of a tridemic this winter – Covid, influenza and RSV, a respiratory virus that affects children.