Please note: this page is not an official source of information for how schools, kura, kindergartens and early childhood centres should operate under the traffic light system. If any of the information on this page appears out of date or conflicts with official advice from the Ministry of Health or the Ministry of Education, please follow the official guidance.
If you are and NZEI Te Riu Roa member and you need advice on a specific matter, please contact our Member Support Centre. You can find their hours and contact details here.
Testing Requirements
More information on testing
If you, or anyone else in your household is sick please call healthline for advice.
Rapid Antigen Tests (RATs)
The Government has announced the purchase of Rapid Antigen Tests (RATs). NZEI is advocating for the appropriate use of RATs in education in Phase 2 and 3 of the red traffic light framework.
The Ministry has indicated it is unlikely to have sufficient supply for widespread use in schools immediately. We will continue to work with them to ensure our schools and services are amongst the priority groups.
Reminder: Alert Level 3 testing requirements no longer apply
A reminder that previous Alert Level 3 or Auckland-area testing requirements for workers on school sites were revoked on 16 January 2022 when the COVID-19 Public Health Response (Protection Framework) Amendment Order 2022 came into effect.
This means that workers who were previously required to provide proof of a negative COVID-19 test when entering school sites in Alert Level 3 areas no longer need to provide this evidence.
This is because if they are working on a school site, they are required to have been fully vaccinated by 1 January 2022 and are also now required to receive a booster dose.
These workers include school staff, volunteers or unpaid workers, contractors and tradespeople who may have contact with students in the course of performing their work or service or who will be present when children or students are also present on site.