Back to school for most Girls’ College students after measles scare

Report from RNZ
Most Wellington Girls’ College students will be back in class today after three confirmed cases of measles at the school. Year 9 to 11 students have been working from home since Monday.

Health NZ originally identified more than 900 close contacts after the school’s prize giving.

But public health has now reduced the number of ‘close contacts’ to prize winners, performing groups and staff who were at the prizegiving practice.

Five staff and 23 students are in isolation until next Thursday, with some other students told they cannot come to school because they are not fully vaccinated.

The decision was made to give Health New Zealand time to trace the close contacts, give staff and students time to check their immunisation status, and allow Year 12 and 13 students to begin NCEA and Scholarship exams with minimal stress.

The school will not hold any assemblies this week, but hopes to be able to from 10 November.

Anyone who attended a prizegiving event on 29 October is considered a ‘casual contact’ and is asked to monitor symptoms until 19 November.

Health New Zealand has also provided Wellington Girls’ College’s nurse with swabs to test any student or staff member who becomes unwell.