Public health risk assessment for categorising contacts.

As of Tuesday morning (22 February) we had been notified of 12 confirmed cases in our school community.  As each case is notified we work with the support of the Ministry of Education to identify contacts and notify the Ministry of Health. 

The Ministry of Education has provided all schools with guidance and a tracing tool to distinguish the risk in different settings, and identify contacts based on best public health advice.

The public health measures that students and staff are required to follow in secondary school settings mean that the risk of transmission of COVID-19 is reduced. Our record keeping and the COVID-19 protocols in place allow us to identify contacts quickly. Contact tracing is based on the table above using our records, but obviously we can't know every interaction that occurs within the day among our large school community.

People who have had contact with a case are considered ‘contacts’. Depending on the type of interaction with the COVID-19 case, they may be categorised as Close or Casual Contacts.  Close contacts are advised by the school as soon as we are able.

 The table above shows you the definitions we have to operate with.