What? ChCh and non-Auckland NZ in Alert Level 2. Auckland in Alert Level 3. When? Midday (today) Wednesday to midnight Friday.

Kia ora koutou. Talofa. Kia Orana. Malo e lelei. Bula. Fakaalofa atu. Namaste and Kumusta. Greetings to everyone at LCŌ and our wider LCŌ community. 

The following link is to a chart about the four alert levels. ChCh is at Alert Level 2.

https://static3.stuff.co.nz/new-zealand-covid-19-alert-level-49b3bcc9.pdf

The following edited information comes from the Ministry of Education as at 9.30pm last night.

Initial update from the Ministry of Education. The Ministry expects further information will be provided tomorrow. [Meaning today- Wednesday]  Please note the arrangements for Auckland at this time differ from the rest of the country.

• All children and young people can continue to attend their early learning and school site for on learning at Alert Level 2.
• Public health advice is that schools, early learning services and tertiary institutions are safe to open onsite at Alert Level 2 to all learners. People do not need to return to bubbles at Alert Level 2 and can meet with friends and family. But people need to play it safe and continue to take sensible health and safety precautions.
• At Level 2, almost all children and young people can continue to attend early learning services, schools and kura onsite. The only exceptions are children or young people who are sick and have any COVID-19 symptoms, are in isolation, are awaiting the result of a test, or with learning support needs where they are required to remain at home.
• Playground, sports equipment use and sports, including contact sports, remain available at Alert Level 2. 
• School transport services remain at normal schedules. The ongoing safety of drivers and students and the ability to contact trace will be a priority at Alert Level 2.
• Public health advice, based on experience in New Zealand and overseas with COVID-19 over many months, shows that it does not infect or affect children and teens in the same way it does adults. Children and teens have low infection rates, they don't become that unwell if they do get infected, and they don't tend to pass the virus on to adults.
• Two key public health principles support our education approach to Alert Level 2. These are to minimise the risk that someone gets infected in the first place, and to ensure we can identify and contact anyone who has been in close contact, if someone in an education institution is infected.
• Strong public health control measures will be in place in all education institutions, including learners and staff staying home if they are sick, contact tracing, and safe hygiene requirements. 
• If a school or early learning service has a confirmed or probable case of COVID-19, they may be advised by health to close for 72 hours to allow contact tracing, and then potentially for a further 14 days.

Alert Level 2 is all about being safe and sensible and this is the approach that goes through our guidance to schools and services. 

The Ministry of Education is working on further guidance on the implementation of public health control measures at Alert Level 2. 

Under Alert Level 2:

• The Government advises all Kiwis to practise good hygiene and stay home if sick.
• People at higher risk of severe illness from Covid-19, for example those with underlying medical conditions and old people, are encouraged to take additional precautions when leaving home.

Last week our thoughts were with all the people we know in Melbourne and the rest of Victoria. Now our thoughts are also with all our Auckland-based whānau and friends, and, of course, with ourselves as we naturally wonder about will happen next. 

Next communication:

I suspect my next communication will be either later today (Wednesday) or tomorrow.

As always, the wellbeing and learning of everyone in our kura is at the heart of all our activity - Mauri Ora. We are doing what we do now in order that all of us - LCŌ, our community, our city, and Aotearoa-New Zealand - may be happy and flourish.

Go well.

Ngā mihi

Richard Edmundson

Tumuaki-Principal