The government is ordering 5000 portable air cleaners, to ensure schools are ventilated enough to help prevent the spread of Covid-19.
Chris Hipkins Photo: RNZ / Angus Dreaver
In a written statement, Education and Covid-19 Response Minister Chris Hipkins said the first 500 air cleaners were expected to arrive in March, with the remainder arriving by June.
Schools would be given a ventilation self-assessment toolkit, making use of 2500 new portable carbon dioxide (CO2) monitors and 8000 Internal Environment Monitors, he said.
He noted a study by NIWA and the Education Ministry supported opening windows and doors as the best way to improve airflow in classrooms, but acknowledged that doing so was not always practical.
"Along with vaccination, testing, good hygiene and physical distancing; good ventilation is important in minimising the risk of airborne transmission of the virus that causes Covid-19," Hipkins said.
"During the study there were days when opening doors and windows was less effective - for example when there was no outdoor breeze, or when it rained and schools were not able to open windows and doors as often. We know there will be cases where schools need to supplement existing natural ventilation."
Hipkins urged any school with concerns about ventilation to contact the ministry for support.
Paediatricians call for schools to remain open as long as possible
Meanwhile, a group of 10 paediatricians led by Dr Jin Russell is urging the government to keep schools open as long as possible as Omicron arrives.
"Much of the public health commentary thus far has focused on protection from Covid-19 infection, that is, on reducing the direct harms of Covid-19. But in children, this commentary needs to be balanced by inclusion of protection from significant indirect harms," the group's open paper said.
They recommended only closing schools as a last resort and as part of localised lockdowns, saying they are not a major driver of transmission when other higher-risk settings remain open.
This was based on a systematic review of data from 150 countries, which could not conclude that school closures had a significant impact on on community transmission of the virus, and another study which concluded secondary attack rates were markedly lower in schools than in households.
If closures were unavoidable, the government should allow regular low-risk outdoor learning and activities like twice-weekly physical education or small group learning sessions, the group said.
They also called for mandatory mask wearing for staff and students in Year 4 and older, and urgent prioritisation of work to improve ventilation.
The first school term of 2022 begins between Monday next week (31 January) and the following Tuesday (8 February).