The Government isn't hitting the panic button over the two latest cases of COVID-19 in Nelson, linked to two schools in the region.
Two staff members, one at Broadgreen Intermediate and the other at Enner Glynn School, tested positive earlier this week - forcing both schools to close.
It comes as the Nelson region is set to enter 'orange' when the traffic light system commences across New Zealand on Friday.
Director-General of Health Ashley Bloomfield says the school cases haven't changed that and there are no plans to move Nelson to red.
"We have seen cases pop in the regions over the last few weeks and through this outbreak," Dr Bloomfield told The AM Show. "Our approach is, of course, that testing, isolation, contact tracing and in this instance that contact tracing has identified these two people who were both tested."
Both of the school cases were asymptomatic, Dr Bloomfield said.
"The schools have taken the appropriate actions to make sure that any risk there might be to other staff and students is measured."
Dr Bloomfield said Nelson also had good vaccination coverage of 85 percent.
"These are just some isolated cases that have been seeded into Nelson and that makes it possible for us… with contact tracing, testing, isolating - we can get around these cases.
"That vaccination rate of 85 percent fully vaccinated - this is the thing that makes the difference here. There is a lot of cover for the population from that high vaccination rate."
In a statement on Wednesday, Enner Glynn School principal Isaac Day and board of trustees chair Lisa Charles said the staff member who tested positive at their school had been infectious since Monday.
"We are now required to undertake a contact tracing process to determine close contacts with this staff member.
"This will require us to close the school on Thursday the 2nd of December. We apologise for the late notice as we received confirmation after 3pm.
"We will be in touch with families by tomorrow afternoon [Thursday[ to determine the level of contact that you or your child may have had, whether this is close, casual plus, or casual. [The] advice we give will depend on the level of contact."
The staff member at Broadgreen Intermediate, meanwhile, was infectious from November 23.
"A number of people are possibly 'close contacts' and will need to get tested immediately, and self-isolate at home," the school said.
"Broadgreen Intermediate is closed tomorrow, Thursday, December 2, to allow us to conduct the contact tracing.
"We will notify you if your child is considered a close contact."
