One of the cases has led to the closure of Apii Te Uki Ou in Ngatangiia — 150 students and their parents were told to return home when they arrived at the school.
A 16-year-old male student at Tereora College was confirmed as having swine flu and has been home quarantined since Saturday and treated with Tamiflu.
A health team visited the college to check and talk to other students, including some who have recently returned from a school trip to New Zealand.
Principal Sharyn Paio said at present the college is taking advice from public health and continues to ask students not to come to school if they are sick and to call the Blackrock clinic to see the doctor there.
Paio said proper hygiene is also being promoted as one of the best ways to avoid any spread of flu amongst the college’s 630 students.
She said the college has no plans to close.
Paio said health officials had been very reassuring in that they have the situation as well controlled as they can.
Not the case with Apii Te Uki Ou however, which closed after one of its teachers, a 33-year-old woman, was confirmed as having swine flu.
The teacher had already been home quarantined and treated with an anti-viral for four days before the test results came back from the Wellington lab.
Three other teaching staff members at the school have been tested for the flu.
Principal Jason Ataera said as a precaution the school will be closed, following advice from public health officials.
“They say it takes five to six days for the symptoms to surface so we are taking a cautious but temporary approach,” he said
Ataera said the school is trying to minimize the spread of any flu or cold among its teachers and students. “It’s the flu season anyway so we are going to have students with the sniffles at school. It’s better that we take this break now.”
