Aotearoa Covid Action (ACA) has today launched a campaign to protect our most important taonga, our children. As schools open for term two, ACA has released an open letter calling for the Government to take action to clean the air and do more to protect children and educators from Covid and other respiratory illnesses.

“Tamariki at our ECEs and schools should be playing and learning, not bringing home disease and spreading it to their families and across the wider community,” says ACA spokesperson Tara Forde.

“Too many educators and children are getting sick and there are no benefits from repeatedly getting Covid.

“We know preventative actions like increasing ventilation are proven to reduce transmission of respiratory viruses like COVID, reduce sick days and increase productivity.

“I’m a working parent, and I am dreading the coming winter. It can’t just be on each family to hope for the best.

“If this Government is serious about increasing school attendance, they need to do more to protect the health of students and educators," says Forde.

Aotearoa Covid Action is calling for:

• Ensuring each school and ECE can monitor air quality
• Supplying technology to clean the air and reduce viral load
• Granting access to all New Zealanders 6 months and older, to up-to-date vaccines, regular boosters and antivirals
• Reintroducing free Rapid Antigen Tests
• Providing extra sick leave for teachers; school support staff, including teacher aides; and caregivers
• Recognising Long Covid as an occupational hazard for teachers
• Recognising and better supporting children, teachers, and school support staff, including teacher aides, with Long Covid, through more research into its effects, diagnosis, and treatment.

Organisations in support include: NZEI, PPTA, Disability Person’s Assembly, Long Covid Kids, Long Covid Support Aotearoa, ANZMES, Complex Chronic Illness Support, ActionStation, 350 Aotearoa, and the Air Quality Collective. Medical professionals in support include: Dr Amanda Kvalsvig, Dr Michael Baker, Dr Gary Payinda, Dr John D Potter, Dr Siouxsie Wiles, Dr Ed Hyde, Dr David Galler, Dr Matire Harwood, and Dr Stuart Ekdahl.

The open letter can now be signed by all individuals at ActionStation Clean Air in Schools petition: https://our.actionstation.org.nz/petitions/clean-air-in-schools

The complete open letter and signatory list can be viewed on the ACA website: https://covidaction.nz/en/openlettercleanairinschools

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