Coronavirus: Latest on COVID-19 community outbreak - Saturday, October 30

A record 160 new cases of COVID-19 have been recorded on Saturday, the highest daily total in New Zealand to date - 151 of which are in Auckland.

Of the remaining nine, one has been detected in Canterbury, seven have tested positive in Waikato and one has been recorded in Northland.

Anti-lockdown protesters have taken to the streets of central Auckland after gathering at the city's domain. Destiny Church co-leader Hannah Tamaki joined the throngs earlier on Saturday, however husband Brian Tamaki is not present.

What you need to know 

• A record 160 new cases have been reported on Saturday - 151 in Auckland, seven in Waikato, one in Northland and one in Canterbury.
• The new Christchurch case arrived from overseas and tested negative multiple times before being released from MIQ.
• A west Auckland retirement village has recorded eight more cases after the first was recorded on Friday - eight residents and one staffer have now tested positive.
• All Auckland DHBs should pass the 90 percent first dose threshold over the coming days, says the Ministry of Health.
• Tonga has recorded its first case of COVID-19, a person who arrived from Christchurch earlier this week.
  
• Thousands have gathered at Auckland Domain for a third anti-lockdown protest in six weeks, with demonstrators now marching through neighbouring streets.
• Click here for all the locations of interest.

Newshub's live updates have finished for the day.

5:05:pm - MIQ has now also confirmed that a COVID positive person allegedly escaped an Auckland facility on Saturday.

This statement is from Joint Head of MIQ Brigadier Rose King: 

"MIQ can confirm that a community case staying at the Novotel & Ibis Ellerslie Managed Isolation Facility allegedly absconded at approximately 12.50pm, 30 October 2021. The person was located by Police and taken into custody at approximately 1.14pm.

"The individual is a COVID-19 positive community case who has been in MIQ since October 23.

"The fact that someone has absconded from one of our facilities is a disappointing and unacceptable breach. We are investigating how this happened."

4:55pm - Police say a man has been arrested after allegedly escape a MIQ facility in Auckland.

Here's the police statement: 

"A 33-year-old man has been arrested after allegedly absconding from an MIQ facility in Ellerslie this afternoon.

"He is now in custody in the Auckland District Custody Unit in Mount Eden and charges are being considered.

"Police staff who interacted with the man today were wearing appropriate PPE."

4:25pm - We have just received this statement from police regarding the anti-lockdown protest in Auckland: 

"Police are once again extremely disappointed with the actions of those gathering in the Auckland Domain today.

"Approximately 5000 people gathered in the Domain in breach of Alert Level 3 restrictions.

"The group then marched to Newmarket and back, causing significant disruption to traffic in the area.

"While those in attendance generally conducted themselves in a calm manner, the gathering was a significant breach of COVID-19 Alert Level 3 requirements.

"We recognise that individuals have a lawful right to protest however this should not be at the expense of restrictions designed to keep our community safe.

"Police are disappointed with the organisers of this event and frustrated by the disruption caused to members of the public.

"The health risk posed to attendees as well as other road users was unnecessary and unacceptable.

"No arrests were made today however Police will be taking prosecution action against a number of individuals in the coming days.

"We will provide updates when available."

4:15pm - There's a bunch of new locations of interest, including: 

• Hillmorton Pharmacy in Christchurch - Wednesday, October 27 between 11am and 11:30am
• The Warehouse Barrington Spreydon - Sunday, October 23 between 10:46am and 10:54am
• Kmart Whangarei - Wednesday, October 20 between 9:20am and 9:55am
• Queen St Dairy Te Kuiti - Thursday, October 28 between 11:45am and 12:30pm

Find the full list here.

4pm - US intelligence agencies said on Friday they may never be able to identify the origins of COVID-19, as they released a new, more detailed version of their review of whether the coronavirus came from animal-to-human transmission or leaked from a lab.

The Office of the US Director of National Intelligence (ODNI) said in a declassified report that a natural origin and a lab leak are both plausible hypotheses for how SARS-COV-2 first infected humans. But it said analysts disagree on which is more likely or whether any definitive assessment can be made at all.

Read more here.

3:25pm - Dr Lesley Gray, a senior lecturer at the University of Otago's Department of Primary Health Care & General Practice, says the high cases are not surprising.

"As the NZ government moved away from an elimination strategy at a time we had unlinked cases in the community it is sadly not at all surprising that case numbers are increasing given the 'R' number for Delta.

"We can only hope with more and more people vaccinated that we do not see a major upturn in hospitalisations.

"Christchurch still has an opportunity to stamp out their current sub-cluster but this would require a higher alert level.

"My worry continues that there are COVID-19 positive people in our communities that are not stepping forward for testing."

2:55pm - Microbiologist associate professor Siouxsie Wiles says large numbers of daily cases will put systems are under pressure "so we will likely see lags in data getting into the system". 

"I think we were all hoping that the recent few days of sub-hundred cases meant that we would see daily cases stay at that level rather than continue to increase," she says.

"The range of cases reported today just show the different scenarios encountered by the public health teams doing contact tracing and case investigations. For example, one is a person in Christchurch who has recently been through MIQ.

"Genomic sequencing will help to understand if they were infected overseas and have had an unusually long incubation period, whether they were infected in MIQ, or whether they were infected as a result of our community delta outbreak."

Wilies says the Tonga case from Christchurch could "signal wider undetected transmission" in the city. 

"Can that person be linked to the known Christchurch cases or are they part of an unknown transmission chain? The answer to that question has implications for Christchurch’s alert level settings," she says.

"Several of the new cases reported highlight the importance of everyone, including those who are partially or fully vaccinated, continuing to wear masks and getting tested if they have symptoms that could be COVID-19, even if those symptoms are very mild. "

Forty-seven people are in hospital with COVID-19, up from 10 people on Friday. Throughout the outbreak, the vast majority in hospital have not been vaccinated or only vaccinated with one dose.

"This just shows how important it is for people to take up the offer to get vaccinated, and to get both doses. There are still thousands of eligible people in New Zealand who haven’t taken up the opportunity to get vaccinated yet.

"With cases popping up around the country I urge everyone to get vaccinated as soon as possible. Its important to remember that people aren’t fully immunised until two weeks after their second dose, so the sooner people get their first dose, the better."

2:35pm - With 160 cases in the community, Saturday marks New Zealand's highest daily count of COVID-19 infections so far in the pandemic.

But beyond that headline figure, there's quite a bit to unpick in the latest COVID-19 update.

Find the details here.

2:15pm - One new location of interest has been added as of 2pm.

Anyone who visited Socials Coffee in Takanini between 11:45am and 1pm on Saturday, October 23 is asked to self-monitor for symptoms for 14 days after the date of exposure. If symptoms develop, get a test and stay at home a negative result is returned and for 24 hours after symptoms resolve.

1:45pm - Here's a breakdown of the key developments on Saturday:

• There are 160 new community cases of COVID-19 - 151 in Auckland, seven in Waikato, one in Northland and one in Canterbury.
• The new Canterbury case recently arrived from overseas. They tested negative multiple times in an Auckland MIQ facility before being released and travelling to Christchurch. They are fully vaccinated and returned a positive result on Friday night.
• Of the seven new cases in Waikato, two – both in Kāwhia – were reported on Friday but have now been officially added. Of the five others, three are from Hamilton, one is from the Te Awamutu/Kihikihi area, and one is from Ōtorohanga. Four have yet to be linked to existing cases.
• There have been four new cases in Northland over the past 24 hours, but only one is being reported today. One was recorded on Friday, initially as an Auckland case and then reclassified as a Northland case. A further two have been reported to the ministry after 9am, so will be officially added to the tally on Sunday. The four individuals are in the same household in southern Kaipara. Investigations are continuing.
• Four household contacts have now been identified in relation to the person who tested positive in Tonga on Friday - they travelled there from Christchurch on Wednesday. The contacts include two people who remain in Christchurch, and two people who travelled from Christchurch to Wellington on Tuesday. All contacts have been contacted and told to self-isolate and get tested.
  
• Counties Manukau is now about 7000 doses short of reaching 90 percent coverage for first doses - all three Auckland DHBs should cross this threshold in the next few days.
• As of 10am, 65 cases are linked, including 38 household contacts - 95 remain under investigation.
• Forty-seven people are hospitalised, an increase of 10 on yesterday's total.
• Public health staff are asking Aucklanders in the suburbs of Redvale, Rosedale, New Lynn, Wiri, Drury, Henderson and Manurewa with symptoms to get tested, no matter how mild.
• An additional seven residents and one staffer have tested positive at Edmonton Meadows retirement village in Henderson, bringing the total number of cases at the home to nine.

1:18pm - Saturday's statement from the Ministry of Health

160 community cases of COVID-19; 2 border cases; more than 42,000 vaccinations yesterday

There are 160 new community cases of COVID-19 to report today - 151 in Auckland, seven in Waikato, one in Northland and one in Canterbury.

The case numbers reported today are a reminder of the infectiousness of COVID-19, and particularly the Delta variant, and the importance of vaccination as the best protection. The rise in case numbers is not unexpected and is line with modelling to date.

On Friday, several vaccines milestones were reached with 91 percent of people over 30 having had, or booked, their first dose. Counties Manukau is now about 7000 doses short of reaching 90 percent coverage for first doses, meaning all three Auckland DHBs should cross this threshold in the next few days.

People are urged to closely monitor the Ministry's locations of interest webpage, which is updated regularly. Anyone with symptoms is asked to please get tested and reminded to get vaccinated today if they have not already.

As of 10am, 65 of today's cases are linked - including 38 household contacts and 95 remain under investigation.

One Auckland case has been reclassified as 'under investigation' and therefore, the net increase in total community cases is 159 cases.

* One case reported on Friday in Auckland has now been reclassified as a Northland case.

Christchurch update

There is one new case to report in Christchurch today.

The case recently travelled into New Zealand from overseas. They had multiple negative tests in MIQ in Auckland including a day 12 test, before being released and travelling to Christchurch. They have reported as being full vaccinated. On Thursday, they had a further test, which returned a positive result last night.

The person is now self-isolating in Christchurch, pending further tests to determine the source of infection and whether it is acute or historical.

Because there are cases in Canterbury, it is important that anyone, especially those in Christchurch, with any symptoms, no matter how mild, are asked to please get tested. Those in Canterbury are also reminded to get vaccinated today if they have not already.

Testing and vaccination sites are available across Canterbury, today and into the weekend. Please see the Canterbury DHB website for site locations and hours.

On Friday across Canterbury, nearly 8000 vaccinations were administered. More than 90 percent of region's eligible population has now had their first dose.

Tonga update

Four household contacts have now been identified for the person who was reported as testing positive for COVID-19 in Tonga on Friday, after travelling to Tonga from Christchurch on Wednesday, October 27.

The case returned a negative pre-departure test before leaving New Zealand. They are fully vaccinated with the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine.

The household contacts include two people who remain in Christchurch, and two people who travelled from Christchurch to Wellington on Tuesday, October 26. All contacts have been contacted by public health officials, been told to self-isolate and get tested.

Anyone with symptoms is asked to please get tested and reminded to get vaccinated today if they have not already. Testing locations in the Wellington region can be found here and here.

The Ministry, along with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade, continues to work with officials in Tonga to confirm the case.

Auckland update

The focus today in Auckland remains on testing in areas identified as having higher positivity rates, where the risk of unidentified cases is higher.

Public health staff are asking people in the suburbs of Redvale, Rosedale, New Lynn, Wiri, Drury, Henderson and Manurewa with symptoms to get tested – no matter how mild their symptoms may be. The advice is the same even if people are vaccinated.

There are 16 community testing centres available for testing across Auckland today. Up-to-date information on testing locations in Auckland, visit www.arphs.health.nz/covid19test.

Auckland retirement home

Following further testing at Edmonton Meadows retirement village in Henderson, an additional seven residents and one staff member have been confirmed as having COVID-19 – bringing the total number of cases at the home to nine.

It's important to note there are high levels of vaccination among residents of the home, and all staff are fully vaccinated.

All staff and residents have now been tested and will also receive day 5 and day 12 testing.

Auckland Regional Public Health staff are supporting the residents and staff at the privately-owned facility.

At this stage, only one positive staff member has been required to stand down.

The retirement village has been operating under alert level 3 guidelines for visitors, meaning people have only been able to visit the village on compassionate grounds.    

Waikato update

Today we are reporting seven new cases in Waikato. Two of these cases – both in Kāwhia – were reported in on Friday's 1pm update but have been added to today's official case numbers.

Of the five new cases, three are from Hamilton, one is from the Te Awamutu/Kihikihi area, and one from Ōtorohanga

Public health investigations have so far determined links for two Hamilton cases and the Te Awamutu/Kihikihi case. Investigations are continuing today to establish further links for the remaining four.

All are in isolation with public health oversight.

A pop-up testing centre in Kāwhia remains open today at the Maketu Marae. This is open until 3pm today. which will be running for the next three days from 11am to 3pm each day.

Anyone in the Kāwhia areas with symptoms, even if they are mild and they are vaccinated, is urged to get tested.

As well as the permanent testing site in Hamilton, there are five pop-up testing sites operating today in Hamilton, Kāwhia, Ōtorohanga, Whatawhata, and Te Awamutu. Please see the DHB website for location details and the Healthpoint website for all other testing providers.

There were 3270 tests processed throughout Waikato on Friday and 3725 vaccinations were given.

Northland update

There have been four new cases over the past 24 hours.

However, today we are officially reporting just one of these cases, as one was recorded in on Friday's numbers, initially as an Auckland case and subsequently reclassified as a Northland case, and a further two have been reported to the Ministry after 9am today. Those two will be officially added to the tally tomorrow.

The four individuals are in the same household in southern Kaipara. Investigations are continuing to determine further details and potential links.

Testing and vaccination rates on Friday remained relatively steady and we are encouraging anyone in the region who has symptoms to get a test. Testing over the weekend will be available at the following locations:

• Kaitaia – Kaitaia Hospital – open til 2pm
• Kerikeri – 1 Sammaree Place – open til 4pm
• Ôhaeawai – Ôhaeawai Rugby Clubrooms – open til 5pm
• Kaiwaka – Three Furlongs Bar & Grill – open til 2pm
• Whangarei – 20 Winger Crescent – open til 4pm.

1:15pm - Anti-lockdown protesters demonstrating at Auckland Domain are now taking to the neighbouring streets.

A Newshub reporter at the scene has captured the protesters marching through Newmarket's Khyber Pass Rd and Broadway in central Auckland, bearing signs including, "Hands off our freedoms & rights!" and "When tyranny becomes law, rebellion becomes duty".

12:50pm - The Ministry of Health will release the latest updates on the COVID-19 outbreak in a statement at 1pm.

12:35pm - A Newshub reporter stationed at the Auckland Domain protest says Destiny Church co-leader Hannah Tamaki, who has joined the throngs of protesters, has claimed she is "not afraid" - while her husband, Brian Tamaki, is "heartbroken" not to be there.

Tamaki has faced police scutiny twice this month in relation to the two previous protests. 

The crowds are now marching around the domain in protest against Auckland's ongoing lockdown.

12:15pm - An estimated crowd of up to 2000 has gathered at Auckland's Domain for the third anti-lockdown protest there in six weeks.

The protest, which is being carefully monitored by police, has started peacefully, with rally participants singing the national anthem and a number of speakers addressing the crowd.

Police officers are stationed around the domain with at least six police vehicles, including three vans, behind Auckland Museum.

Destiny Church co-leader Hannah Tamaki is present, however her husband, Brian Tamaki, is not. The controversial figure has been arrested twice this month in relation to the two previous protests.

12:10pm - There are three new locations of interest as of 12pm.

These are the Kawakawa Bay boat ramp in Papakura, FreshChoice in Ranui on Swanson Rd and Pak'nSave in Te Awamutu in Waikato.

For relevant dates, times and public health advice, click here.

11:40am - The Government should immediately make plans to vaccinate New Zealand's children, says ACT leader David Seymour, following the authorisation of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine for emergency use in five-to-11-year-olds by the US Food and Drug Administration on Friday (local time).

It comes after an expert panel on Tuesday voted overwhelmingly to recommend authorisation to the FDA, saying the benefits of inoculation outweigh the risks.  An advisory panel to the CDC will convene next week to make a recommendation on the administration of the vaccine, with the CDC director to make the final call.

"New Zealand's children deserve the same protection," Seymour said on Saturday. "[The Government] should say if it's possible before school is rumoured to go back on November 15."

"We certainly hope the Government is not going to say they haven't ordered the vaccine, hasn't thought about how to use the doses it has for paediatric administration, or generally hasn't anticipated that the FDA trial would release results after it's been going for several months."

Seymour and his party are calling on the Government to exempt COVID-19 treatments and technologies from the Medsafe approval process, saying that if a treatment or technology is approved by the US, Australia, UK or European Union, it should be deemed safe to use in New Zealand. Medsafe, the New Zealand Medicines and Medical Devices Safety Authority, is the medical regulatory body run by the Ministry of Health.

A clinical trial of five-to-11-year-olds has found the Pfizer vaccine offers significant protection against COVID-19 in children. The  study found the vaccine is 90.7 percent effective among the age bracket.

"There is no way that Medsafe can replicate what the FDA has done. We don't have enough COVID in the community to test effectiveness and waiting two months to test safety would give no more reassurance than the FDA already offers," Seymour said.

"The idea that Medsafe is waiting for an application, or data, from Pfizer is madness. The Government should overrule them and say it accepts the Food and Drug Administration's findings, and vaccinations for five-to-11-year-olds can start according to the FDA's specification immediately.

"All attention should turn to whether the Government is ready with the doses, are they ordered, when are they expected if existing stock cannot be administered paediatrically."

He says beginning the vaccine rollout for young children now would allow time for primary-aged students to get their first dose before schools are slated to return on November 15.

"That would give parents returning their children to school an enormous relief."

Read more on the FDA's authorisation of the vaccine here.

11:20am - New Zealand's leading epidemiologist is uncomfortable young kids might be heading back to school despite none of them being vaccinated against COVID-19.

But the Associate Minister of Education says the proposed back-to-school date of November 15 isn't set in stone, and discussions are underway between her officials and the Ministry of Health on ensuring it's as safe as possible. 

Children under 12 still aren't eligible for the Pfizer vaccine, but there's hope they could be soon now that officials in the US have given it the green light. 

"I'd be much more comfortable if we were already vaccinating five to 11-year-olds before we open schools, because we've got almost half-a-million children who will otherwise be exposed to this virus without any natural immunity," the University of Otago's Michael Baker told Newshub Nation on Saturday. "That's the situation.

"I am concerned about not so much the acute effects of this infection because children generally do very well - some will unfortunately will still die if they're exposed to it, but it's very rare in children - but the bigger worry I think is long COVID, the chronic effects, which are being detected in children who get this infection. 

"I would much prefer that before children are exposed to this virus, they're at least given the opportunity to be vaccinated."

Read more here.

11:10am - It's hoped a two-day vaccination event at Rosehill College will continue to boost uptake in south Auckland.

In a statement on Saturday, Manurewa-Papakura Ward Councillor Daniel Newman said he is disappointed in what he claims is a lack of support for the south Auckland community. He says funding and much-needed vaccination incentives in the suburbs have failed to materialise.

"COVID-19 patients are now being sent home and case numbers are rising dramatically in our community," he said.

"Christchurch faces the prospect of COVID-19 seeding but enjoys 70 percent fully vaccinated protection. COVID-19 seeded in South Auckland when we had only 20 percent fully vaccinated protection.

"We can only conclude that we are on our own and we need to deal with this pandemic alone."

The vaccination event at Rosehill College will take place from 9am to 3pm Saturday, October 30 and Sunday, October 31. Clinicians from Manurewa Marae will travel on the Shot Cuzz mobile vaccination bus to the school and invitations have been extended to the wider community to come and roll up their sleeves.

Food parcels, spot prizes, free coffee and hot chocolate will be on offer and the event is being generously supported through donations from local businesses and the Supreme Sikh Society.

Papakura MP and Opposition leader Judith Collins is scheduled to attend the event on Saturday.

11am - A group of high-profile Auckland business associations have penned an open letter pleading with the Prime Minister to shift the COVID-stricken region down to alert level 2.

Heart of the City and the Newmarket, Parnell, Ponsonby and Takapuna Business Associations have acknowledged the Prime Minister's announcement on October 22, detailing the new COVID-19 Protection Framework, the key milestones, and the additional financial support being made available for businesses, a spokesperson for the associations said in a statement on Saturday morning.

"They noted that although the increase in support provides a lifeline, the situation is not sustainable and all  businesses really want to do is trade," the spokesperson said.

"While many businesses are able to carry on, the business associations' retail, hospitality, arts, events, entertainment, tourism, and personal service sectors are being unduly disadvantaged."

The group is requesting an immediate change to alert level 3, step 3, under the Government's existing alert level framework and three-step roadmap to easing restrictions in Auckland.

"They point out that the framework and guidelines are already in place, and their businesses, following these COVID-19 guidelines, can trade safely for their staff, suppliers and customers," the spokesperson said.

"They request this urgent action to support their local economies and to save their businesses."

A copy of the open letter is available here.

10:45am - In case you missed it, two new cases of COVID-19 have been detected in Northland, which were confirmed by the Ministry of Health on Friday evening.

Northland District Health Board advised the Ministry of Health of the two new cases on Friday afternoon. The two live in the same household in Southern Kaipara and at this stage, they have no known links to the region's existing cluster. Investigations are underway to determine if they are connected to the current outbreak.

The pair were tested on October 27 and have been isolating with public health oversight.

Investigations are continuing to determine further details around their movements and to identify any locations of interest. A further update on will be provided sometime today.  

Health officials are encouraging anyone in the area who has symptoms to get a test.

Testing over the weekend will be available at the following locations:

• Kaiwaka - Three Furlongs: Please do not call this venue for bookings. Please call Healthline on 0800 358 5453. Testing will be available here on Saturday, Sunday and Monday between 10am and 2pm.
• Whangarei - Kamo: 20 Winger Crescent. Hours are Wednesday to Saturday 9am to 4pm and on Sundays from 10am to 4pm.
• Kerikeri: 1 Sammaree Place, Kerikeri. Open daily from 9am to 4pm.

The two cases will be formally added to Saturday's case total tomorrow at 1pm.

Vaccination sites are available on the Northland DHB website.

10:30am - A number of new locations of interest have been added on Saturday morning, including a McDonald's in Raumanga, Whangārei and two buses in Christchurch.

For relevant dates, times and public health advice, click here.

Here are the latest locations of interest as of 10am:

10:20am - Support for Auckland students to re-engage in learning

Auckland children and young people will be supported by the Government to get back on track with their learning for the rest of this year and into 2022, Education Minister Chris Hipkins and Associate Education Minister Jan Tinetti announced on Saturday morning.

"Restrictions in Auckland and long periods of distance learning will have impacted on the progress of some children and young people. We are providing nearly $15 million to help them to get back into learning in the classroom as soon as it is safe for them to do so," Chris Hipkins said.

"The investment will help our older students who are returning to school and heading into exams, and support younger students to get back to face-to-face learning soon. We are currently speaking to primary schools and the wider sector about an indicative date of November 15."

Jan Tinetti said the package will include a range of targeted support.

"It will include community-based support and targeted funding for schools, and be used for counselling, learning support and initiatives to encourage attendance," she said.  

"We want to help those students who are finding it tough to stay engaged with their learning through the remainder of Term 4 and support them over summer so they return to school and kura next year."

A $3 million Rapid Resurgence Fund will go directly to schools and kura that have identified students with immediate needs and who need support to stay engaged in learning at school.

"Schools and kura will be able to decide themselves how best to use the funds – for example to employ extra personnel, mentoring or other services to reach students and their whānau and support their re-engagement in school," Tinetti said. 

"There will also be an extra 300 student places available for Year 9 and above in Te Kura to help students catch up and plan for the year ahead. The programme includes a mixed model of individualised distance and face-to-face learning (once it is safe to do so), and one-on-one mentoring.

"Students can enrol with Te Kura during Term 4 into He Oranga Māhuru. This targeted, wraparound support programme is aimed at building relationships with students. Te Kura 300 will be ready to deploy in term one of next year.

"We're making sure there are a range of measures in place to support children and young people through this tumultuous time."

Components of the re-engagement package for 2021/22 include:

• $6 million in targeted support through providers to meet the immediate needs of Māori and Pacific students within their whānau so they can re-engage in learning, either back at school, online or with another education provider.
• A $3 million Rapid Resurgence Fund to provide immediate and flexible support to schools – allocation to focus on Māori and Pacific students and weighted for equity.
• $2.2 million to deploy the Te Kura 300 programme to support at-risk students in Auckland to stay engaged, or re-engage, in learning.
• $1.5 million additional counselling support to improve the wellbeing of students, focusing on Years 6 to 9.
• $1.0 million for students with identified learning support needs, including those with disabilities.
• $630,000 to scale up Check & Connect in Auckland to provide additional mentors for at-risk students referred to the service by schools and kura.
• $600,000 increase for the Attendance Service capacity – to rapidly connect with and actively support learners to re-engage with school.