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Papatoetoe High School to remain closed as new cases emerge

<h2>Another two students from Papatoetoe High School have tested positive for COVID-19 and the school will remain closed as the rest of Auckland&&num;8217&semi;s schools reopen on Thursday&period;<&sol;h2>&NewLine;<p>Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern announced Auckland would return to level 2 as of midnight after three days at level 3&comma; meaning schools shift their online learning back to the classrooms tomorrow&comma; except Papatoetoe High School&period; The South Auckland school&comma; which has received widespread praise for its handling of the COVID community resurgence&comma; will reopen on Monday&period; <&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>Schools were forced to close across the region for an initial period of three days after three Aucklanders tested positive for disease&comma; including one Year 9 pupil at Papatoetoe High School and her parents&period; A further two pupils &&num;8211&semi; a brother and sister &&num;8211&semi; tested positive on Wednesday&period; Principal Vaughan Couillault told media earlier this week&comma; &OpenCurlyDoubleQuote;We&&num;8217&semi;ve been subbed on in the team of five million&comma; and it&&num;8217&semi;s our turn to do the hard yards&period;&&num;8221&semi;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>Testing continues at the school&comma; with all those deemed close contacts of active cases isolating for two weeks&period; <&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>Director of Health Dr Ashley Bloomfield told media the Year 9 pupil had experienced the onset of symptoms before her mother&comma; who works for a company that provides laundry and catering services to the aviation industry&period; <&sol;p>&NewLine;<div class&equals;"storyPage">&NewLine;<blockquote>&NewLine;<p>The mother and daughter seem to have been infected at the same time&period; The daughter is reporting slightly earlier onset of symptoms&comma;” he said&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<&sol;blockquote>&NewLine;<&sol;div>&NewLine;<p>Papatoetoe High School Head Girl Rhonda Nguyen spoke to media&comma; offering support to fellow pupils and the school community as COVID test results were pending&period; <&sol;p>&NewLine;<figure id&equals;"attachment&lowbar;18431" aria-describedby&equals;"caption-attachment-18431" style&equals;"width&colon; 300px" class&equals;"wp-caption alignnone"><img class&equals;"size-medium wp-image-18431" src&equals;"https&colon;&sol;&sol;www&period;schoolnews&period;co&period;nz&sol;wp-content&sol;uploads&sol;2021&sol;02&sol;Head-girl-Papatoetoe-High-School-300x161&period;jpg" alt&equals;"" width&equals;"300" height&equals;"161" &sol;><figcaption id&equals;"caption-attachment-18431" class&equals;"wp-caption-text">Papatoetoe High School head girl Rhonay Nguyen on TVNZ&&num;8217&semi;s Breakfast&period;<&sol;figcaption><&sol;figure>&NewLine;<div class&equals;"storyPage">&NewLine;<p>Anyone with symptoms is urged to stay at home and call Healthline on 0800 611 116 to arrange a test&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<&sol;div>&NewLine;

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Heather Barker Vermeer

Heather has worked as a journalist, writer and editor in England and Aotearoa New Zealand for over 20 years. She fell in love with words when she received a 'Speak & Spell' tech toy for Christmas in 1984.

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