It's an Orientation Week like no other for hundreds of Otago University students stuck isolating with Covid or as close contacts.
Photo: RNZ / Don T
The southern city recorded its first community case of the latest outbreak two weeks ago with two student flat parties pinged as locations of interest.
Students say the reality of isolation and Omicron is kicking in, and they were putting partying on the backburner.
Orientation Week at the University of Otago was usually packed with people and parties.
But Covid had thrown a wet blanket on those plans with the official O-Week events canned and students asked to put their parties on pause.
A Bachelor of Arts student who asked not to be named said plenty were complacent at first.
"None of us had really ever been involved in an outbreak before. None of us have ever known anyone that's tested positive or have ever been a close contact so it wasn't something that we were really taking all too seriously.
"We thought it was going to be kind of contained. But then, it just spread so, so fast and we all became really involved with it."
She lives near Castle Street - party street - which was the first location of interest for the southern city this outbreak.
"But everything's been super quiet down here recently. At night time, there's nothing going on anymore. There's hardly anyone out on the streets now, day or night, and when we are going to get tested the lines are just insanely long and it just seems like everyone is out getting tested because it's affecting all of us."
She was a close contact and had been isolating with her flatmates since last Thursday.
But she was frustrated with the communication between students and health workers.
"We get told by some people that cases are isolating for seven days. We get told by others that it's ten.
"There's a lot of misinformation about how long we're actually meant to be staying home for, and I think that is something that a lot of us are finding down here is that we've all been told different things so it's really hard to know what we're actually meant to be doing, and when we're actually allowed out."
Siena and her three flatmates had been isolating on Dundas Street for the past week, keeping boredom at bay by baking, making jewellery, and watching movies.
Half of them - including Siena - tested positive.
"We found out from a close contact of the Castle Street parties. We had attended a few of the Castle Street parties but we weren't really a close contact with anyone there.
"But one of our friends had been in close contact with all the people that had been attending them."
They were keen to knuckle down and do their isolation properly with hopes they could get out as soon as possible.
She had been happy with the support from the university and its student association.
One of her friends had dropped around supplies, but that stopped when she also tested positive.
"I think if we get desperate, I've seen a few things that the uni and Otago University Students' Association has been offering like those packs and that sort of stuff. I think if we really needed help, we would be able to reach out."
The University of Otago estimated there were several hundred students who had Covid in North Dunedin and hundreds more self-isolating as close contacts.
"We are pleased with the large number of students who have gone to get tested, the vast majority are doing the right things and self-isolating," the university said.
Dominic Baines said he was caught out by Covid at student parties - just not the ones on Castle Street.
He lives in a six-person flat in North Dunedin's student area, but wasn't currently studying.
"I've got the smallest room in the flat so that doesn't really help matters. But it's been really weird and it does feel a little bit pointless because, especially with how spreadable the current variant of Covid is, I feel like even if I go and breathe in the bathroom it's gonna cause problems, and I kind of have to use the bathroom.
"It's been weird. We've tried our best but we'll just see if anything has worked or if everyone has ended up contracting it all and then just go from there tomorrow."
He was hopeful his remaining Covid-free flatmates stayed that way or they would face more time in isolation.