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A nurse who was caring for patients linked to the St Margaret's rest home cluster is now in hospital…
An Auckland School Strike 4 Climate leader says the coronavirus pandemic is a "once in a lifetime opportunity" for action against climate change. The group has penned a letter to the Government urging it to prioritise green solutions in its response to Covid-19. Avondale College student … View moreAn Auckland School Strike 4 Climate leader says the coronavirus pandemic is a "once in a lifetime opportunity" for action against climate change. The group has penned a letter to the Government urging it to prioritise green solutions in its response to Covid-19. Avondale College student Coco Green-Lovatt, who is one of the leaders of the campaign, says the way New Zealanders has united and made sacrifices to fight coronavirus gives her hope for similar action against climate change.
Turn an old school desk into a stylish side table or hallway feature with a touch of Resene colour and Resene Aquaclear.
Upcycled industrial items like this work really well alongside modern furnishings to give your home an eclectic style. A piece like this is also a … View moreTurn an old school desk into a stylish side table or hallway feature with a touch of Resene colour and Resene Aquaclear.
Upcycled industrial items like this work really well alongside modern furnishings to give your home an eclectic style. A piece like this is also a great way to introduce pops of colour that you might not be brave enough to attempt on a larger scale.
Make the most of this weekend with this easy step by step project idea from Resene.
Find out how to create your own.
Coronavirus has us celebrating our local businesses, does that extend to your Big Day? We've spoken to wedding venues who are hopeful people will commit to a local wedding in the future. The Sunday Star-Times is keen to speak to a couple who have new plans to keep their wedding in New Zealand.… View moreCoronavirus has us celebrating our local businesses, does that extend to your Big Day? We've spoken to wedding venues who are hopeful people will commit to a local wedding in the future. The Sunday Star-Times is keen to speak to a couple who have new plans to keep their wedding in New Zealand. If you're willing to be interviewed and identified for a story, please email kelly.dennett@stuff.co.nz.
Kiwis can expand their bubbles to include friends and family and travel "safely" around the country, Ardern said. It comes as one new Covid-19 case was announced for the day. Public parks and recreational sports facilities will be open again, and professional sport can resume again such … View moreKiwis can expand their bubbles to include friends and family and travel "safely" around the country, Ardern said. It comes as one new Covid-19 case was announced for the day. Public parks and recreational sports facilities will be open again, and professional sport can resume again such as Super Rugby and the national netball league. Mass gathering rules will still apply so there will not be any crowds. Ardern said ECE centres and schools will open at level 2, and with so few cases in New Zealand, those will be safe environments for students and staff.
Director general of health Ashley Bloomfield said there will be a 2m physical distancing guideline for strangers and 1m for people you know, but a "careful hug" was okay for close friends and family. People at higher risk, such as people over 70 or with underlying health conditions, would have the same rules under level 2 as everyone else.
Weddings and concerts
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Ardern said indoor gatherings would be limited to up to 100 people under alert level 2, while outdoor gatherings will also be limited to 100. Weddings and concerts could happen, as long as there were fewer than 100 people. She said people would no longer have to stick to their bubble, and people can see family and friends again. Space, hygiene and contact tracing principles still applied. Have people over for dinner, she said, but keep numbers small and it was not the time for a large party.
Ardern said further guidance on things like dinner parties will be released in the coming days. But large gatherings and cramming people into a home was a "no-no".
Travel around NZ
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On domestic travel, which was previously restricted under the level 2 guidelines, Ardern said people will be allowed to move "safely" around the country. People should keep physical distance, for example, at airports. This will boost domestic tourism, she said, and people will be excited to get a haircut and have a holiday. Ardern said domestic travel for a large gathering was "not a safe purpose for travel".
Bars, cafes and barbers
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Hospitality, including cafes and bars, can open but that meant only businesses that can apply the thee Ss. The first is seated - capacity only for how many can be seated to prevent congestion, Ardern says.The second S is separation. There has to be space between people and tables, for example, and each table must have a single server (third S), and service at the table rather than the counter. Contact tracing will likely include QR codes, but manual or digital recording should be used in the meantime for customers. Customer contact outside venues, in queues for instance, will have to be controlled or businesses will risk losing their ability to stay open. Ardern said limiting contact with strangers will be challenging for hospitality, which had led to the three Ss. "Certain venues, nightclubs and so on, unless they adapt in that way, they won't be able to operate," she said. Ardern said indoor gatherings would be limited to up to 100 people, while outdoor gatherings will also be limited to 100. Service premises and office spaces can open, but "the fewer people the better" to make contact tracing easier and faster.
Staggered start times and working from home should still be a part of the mix, she said, and each business can work out their best practices.
Hairdressers and retail stores can open again, but surfaces must be cleaned and physical distance should be kept. Malls can open and be treated like supermarkets are now, including with appropriate PPE where needed. Bars, cafes and restaurants will not need to have contactless payments, she said. Eftpos terminals, door handles or high-contact surfaces will need to be cleaned regularly. Bloomfield said mask wearing for hairdressers and in beauty salons made sense at level 2, but at the moment there was no intention to make mask-wearing compulsory. Ardern said lives had been "quite different" for six weeks now. She said New Zealanders should be proud of the low number of cases, and Kiwis had been innovative in trying to operate safely under level 3. There was one new case announced today. Cabinet will consider the evidence about moving to level 2 on Monday, with the latest Covid-19 data.
Schools to re-open
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Distance learning will still be available for those unable to return to school, such as for people isolating because they have Covid-19, she said. A positive case in a school will mean that school will close for 72 hours to enable contact tracing, and possibly for 14 days if required.
Schools will open at the start of a week, whenever a decision is made about moving to level 2, she said. Kids should still stay at home if sick.
Schools will also have to keep attendance records for contact tracing purposes.
'Play it safe' - the rules for level 2
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"No one wants a second wave - no one," Ardern said. The PM said the virus had bounced back in other countries, and New Zealand needed to "stay in control". Level 3 had been about restricting contact as much as possible, and level 2 was still aimed at reducing close contact with strangers. "It is very unlikely that we have hunted down every single case of Covid-19. If stray cases start new chains of transmission, we might not find them for a month," Ardern said. She said level 2 was about keeping the economy back up and running, but "play it safe". The health principles were the same, including to stay home if you are even "slightly sick", being tested for even a runny nose or a sore throat, and washing hands often and properly all of the time. "Don't pass other people your phone," was one example the PM gave. The border will still be closed to non-New Zealanders. Test, contact trace and isolate would remain in place, she said. Keeping physical distance was also important, she said. If someone with a cough left their home, the safest distance from them is two metres. Level 2 meant more contact with more people in more places, so 2 metres should be kept from strangers, but less was allowed among people you know "because we can find you and we can find them" for contact tracing. Ardern repeated that contact with strangers will have to be limited. "When it comes time to move, we want to move with confidence." That meant the possibility of moving into level 2 in a phased way, Ardern said. "No decisions have been made yet. We wait for all of the data before we do that." Making several steps in level 2 rather than one big step might be what transpires, depending on the latest health advice on Monday, Ardern said. The Government will not have all the answers, and Ardern said businesses with questions should reach out to the Ministry of Business Innovation and Employment. She said New Zealand should think about being halfway down Everest, and no one would want to climb back up, but it was pertinent to consider that the descent was the most dangerous.
One new case today
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Bloomfield announced one new Covid-19 case today. The new case is linked to the Matamata cluster. The Waikato DHB is calling for anyone in the area to seek advice if they want to be tested, he said.
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The total number of confirmed and probable Covid-19 cases is 1489, and 1332 people have recovered, or 89 per cent of all cases. There are two people in hospital. The death toll from Covid-19 in New Zealand remains at 21. Testing was higher than 7000 yesterday for the first time and Bloomfield said this was a good sign as DHBs were getting ready for surveillance testing.
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He said a review had been completed into the use of masks in the general public, and there were risks and benefits for wearing masks.
Bloomfield said over 500 people in the Marist College cluster had been tested, and there had only been one positive test, which was revealed yesterday. He said all the cases this week all linked to existing cases "which is exactly where we want to be."
Exemptions from lockdown rules
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He said the review of 32 exemptions had now been completed, and all the decisions had been processed correctly. However, some of the findings would have been different under the new criteria following the judicial review last week. One person had been allowed to leave managed isolation to visit a dying relative. Bloomfield told this morning the level 2 health principles were physical distancing, hand hygiene, getting tested early for any symptoms and staying home if sick. "Hugs and handshakes - if you don't know someone, be rigorous around physical distancing. But if it's close friends and family, you want to be careful of course, but it's starting to return to normal. "I would imagine it would still be elbow bumps and quick hugs." In higher-risk environments, such as public transport, Bloomfield said people may wish to wear a mask, but will not be compelled to. "We've just had another look at the evidence. People may wish to use a mask. If they know how to use it properly, that's fine, but at this point we won't be insisting on masking."
Some public health experts, including Otago University epidemiologist Professor Michael Baker, have been calling for mass masking to be considered. Bloomfield said it was common for people in Southeast Asia to wear masks in public, but that was because they had a cold and were trying to prevent germs from spreading. He said New Zealand's key public health principles were: "Don't go out if you've got a cold, don't go to work, don't send children to school if they have a respiratory infection".
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AAA Auto parts are back in business and they continue to pick the cars under Level 3 with the health & safety precautions.
Maintaining a safe distance, single man towing, washing hands regularly in the yard, sanitizer in the towing truck, mask and gloves on at all times.
AAA Auto parts … View moreAAA Auto parts are back in business and they continue to pick the cars under Level 3 with the health & safety precautions.
Maintaining a safe distance, single man towing, washing hands regularly in the yard, sanitizer in the towing truck, mask and gloves on at all times.
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A group of Russian tourists stranded in New Zealand have been given just $50 to tide them over. Whe…
After listening to various people speaking either on television or radio and reading various articles from so many different reliable sources, I am so surprised at how many couch experts we have in various blogs, websites etc ...
As Jacinda so correctly said this morning (while putting Duncan … View moreAfter listening to various people speaking either on television or radio and reading various articles from so many different reliable sources, I am so surprised at how many couch experts we have in various blogs, websites etc ...
As Jacinda so correctly said this morning (while putting Duncan Garner in his place), "I didn't realise you were an epidemiologist - congratulations on your new qualification"
Even though this may have been a tad immature, I am sure that she (like so many of us) is fed up to our back teeth with all of these so called experts demanding that we rapidly descend to a lower level faster than we should be, all because they seem to think that they know best.
If we bend to the will of these couch experts, then we will find ourselves back into lockdown, just like quite a few countries are doing as I write this.
Is this hard on us? Yes
Are we over this dreadful scenario? Yes
Is this hard on the economy? Yes
Do we want to beat this and come through the other side without slipping back to Level 4? Yes
So, we do need to be strong, help one another, be supportive and not judgemental of those who are tasked to making the really hard decisions. We wouldn't be able to walk a mile in their shoes, let alone make these hard decisions lightly with a whole nation breathing down our necks.
The wonderful analogy I came across is perfect for this time.
"The curve is flattening; we can starting lifting restrictions now"
which is the same as saying, " The parachute has slowed our rate of descent; we can now take it off"
BE PATIENT FOLKS - WE CAN REALLY DO THIS👍❤
TRUST THE EXPERTS and not the couch experts.
We are (very) excited to say that the May issue of NZ Gardener is on sale today, and absolutely packed with the good stuff! Lynda Hallinan reflects on 60 lessons for gardeners from the lockdown (with plenty of idea on what you can sow and grow in May); there's a bumper gardening quiz; we … View moreWe are (very) excited to say that the May issue of NZ Gardener is on sale today, and absolutely packed with the good stuff! Lynda Hallinan reflects on 60 lessons for gardeners from the lockdown (with plenty of idea on what you can sow and grow in May); there's a bumper gardening quiz; we suggest five herbs to reduce anxiety and promote calmness; and visit a Taupo sanctuary full of art and alive with native birds and a wild and wonderful garden in Glenorchy. And since we've been gardening in isolation, Jack Hobbs talks to gardeners on the Chatham Islands about how they keep things growing, 650km from the nearest garden centre. Normally our subscribers get their copy before it goes on sale, of course, but things aren't quite normal right now so if your copy hasn't arrived yet, it should be with you very soon! We are so pleased to have a new issue of your favourite magazine for you, and I cannot wait to hear what you think. NZ Gardener has been informing and inspiring New Zealand gardeners for more than 75 years and we're incredibly grateful to our readers, especially our subscribers, because we couldn't do it without you. And by the way subscribing is easy and a much cheaper way to get your magazine each month! And would an NZ Gardener sub make a great Mother's Day gift this Sunday, you ask? I think we all know the answer to that! Jo
Amidst allegations of price gouging and shortage of items from antibacterial products to baking products such as flour, Newshub compared the prices of 15 items at PAK'nSave, New World and Countdown on April 25 and May 6.
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The comparison … View moreAmidst allegations of price gouging and shortage of items from antibacterial products to baking products such as flour, Newshub compared the prices of 15 items at PAK'nSave, New World and Countdown on April 25 and May 6.
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The comparison shows that shopping at PAK'nSave is cheapest, costing $57 on May 6, a saving of $7.36 compared to Countdown and $6.24 for New World. The same group of items would cost $63.24 at New World and $64.36 at Countdown, if bought on the same day. Between the two dates, eight items at PAK'nSave were between 10c and $1.10 more expensive on May 8, a total of $2.21 more. Two items had dropped in price, costing a total of $1.30 less. The net difference is a 91c increase on May 6 across the 15 items (a total cost of $56.09 on April 25 and $57 on May 6). With the exception of coco pops and olivani spread, Countdown prices were the same between the two dates. The net difference is a 51c saving on May 6. At New World, two items cost less on May 6 and three items cost more. There is no net difference ($1.70 saved and $1.70 increase). Examples of items found to be cheaper at PAK'nSave across both dates were breakfast cereal (Kellogg's coco pops and Sanitarium muesli), body wash (Palmolive milk & honey), Jif cream cleanser and Anchor milk. Of the items that increased in price between April and May, just three were priced higher at PAK'nSave than at New World or Countdown (cucumber telegraph, Jif and Chef cat food). We asked a group of shoppers which supermarket they prefer and found that their responses were divided. "PAK'nSave is cheaper, they also re-pack your groceries into a trolley," Karen said.
"[I go to] PAK'nSave for the main shop, Countdown for top-ups or the odd thing I can never find (only because Countdown's closer to home)," Angelique said. "Normally I go to Countdown, but buy the specials which saves us more than going to PAK'nSave. I have regularly found the produce to be fresher at Countdown [and] I have a OneCard and get $15 back every so often," Bee said. "We did a comparison and bought the same things a week apart from Countdown and PAK'nSave and found the difference to be about $30," Sue added. "I like New World: great supply of gluten-free alternative products and staff are great," said Carol. Antoinette Laird, Head of Corporate Affairs, Foodstuffs New Zealand said that price gap comparisons are made throughout the year, which enables the company to maintain it's offer of 'New Zealand's lowest food prices'. "Our most recent comparison was conducted in mid-February. On 11 February, one customer did her shop at PAK’nSave Moorhouse. The same customer then completed her same shop at Countdown Moorhouse. She saved $29.73 by shopping at PAK’nSave," Laird said. On 14 February a different customer shopped at PAK’nSave Silverdale, and then at Countdown Silverdale. She saved $40.98." Some customers may prefer the quality and range available at other supermarkets, while price-conscious customers are likely to find PAK'nSave their main go-to. "No in-store frills means we’re able to keep costs low and pass the savings onto our customers," Laird added.
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Fifteen grocery items compared on Sat 25 Ap (lockdown) and Wednesday 06 May (alert level 3):
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Coco pops original 375g:
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25/4/2020: Countdown $6.50, PAK'nSave $4.99, New World $6.49
Price change 6/5/20: Countdown $5.00, New World $4.99
Watties mild chilli beans 420g:
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25/4/2020: Countdown $2.60, PAK'nSave $2.29, New World $2.59
Price change 6/5/20: PAK'nSave $2.39
Arnotts cruskits rice 125g:
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25/4/2020: Countdown $3.50, PAK'nSave $2.69, New World $3.29
Price change 6/5/20: PAK'nSave $2.79
Jif cleaner cream regular 375g:
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25/4/2020: Countdown $3.49, PAK'nSave $2.89 (lemon only), New World $2.99
Price change 6/5/20: PAK'nSave $3.09 (reg/lemon)
Diamond Rice Risotto chicken 200g:
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25/4/2020: Countdown $3.00, PAK'nSave $2.79, New World $2.99
Price change 6/5/20: PAK'nSave $2.89
Pringles original tube 134g:
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25/4/2020: Countdown $3.40, PAK'nSave $2.99, New World $3.49
Price change 6/5/20: New World $3.29
Celery bunch whole:
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25/4/2020: Countdown: $4.50, PAK'nSave $4.49, New World $4.99
Price change 6/5/20: PAK'nSave $3.29
Cucumber telegraph:
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25/4/2020: Countdown: $1.80, PAK'nSave $2.19, New World $2.59
Price change 6/5/20: PAK'nSave $3.29, New World $2.99
Tip Top supersoft sandwich 700g:
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25/4/2020: Countdown: $3.20, PAK'nSave $3.09, New World $3.19 (toast only)
Price change 6/5/20: PAK'nSave $2.99, New World $3.59 (toast only)
Chef Classic cat food jellymeat can 690g:
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25/4/2020: Countdown: $3.00, PAK'nSave $2.79, New World $2.79
Price change 6/5/20: PAK'nSave $2.99
Tegel frozen chicken 950g:
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25/4/2020: Countdown: $6.00, PAK'nSave $5.25, New World $7.00 (non-frozen) Price change 6/5/20: none
Palmolive naturals milk and honey 500ml:
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25/4/2020: Countdown: $6.00, PAK'nSave $3.99, New World $4.99
Price change 6/5/20: PAK'nSave $4.30
Sanitarium natural muesli with fruit and 5 grains 625g:
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25/4/2020: Countdown $6.99, PAK'nSave: $4.99, New World $4.99
Price change 6/5/20: New World $5.89
Olivani olive oil spread 500g:
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25/4/2020: Countdown: $4.00 (special), PAK'nSave: $3.89,
New World: $3.99
Price change 6/5/20: Countdown $4.99, PAK'nSave: $3.99
Anchor milk standard blue 3l:
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25/4/2020: Countdown: $6.89, PAK'nSave $6.77, New World: $6.87
Price change 6/5/20: no change
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*Prices were compared at Countdown Three Kings (Mt Eden or Blockhouse Bay if item not available), PAK'nSave Royal Oak and New World Mt Roskill. Home brands were not included due to the inability to compare across supermarkets.
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Chef Spencer Matagi, Chef de Partie at Soul Bar, graduated from NZSFW in 2018.
Spencer shares Samoan classics, Palusami - Taro leaves, steamed with coconut cream along with lamb chop suey.
A woman who died after being hit by a train waited for one to pass but failed to see another coming …
Elite New Zealand schools have claimed millions through the Government's wage subsidy, many of them while still charging full fees to students. Schools collecting full tuition fees said they were suffering as badly as any exposed business during the Covid-19 pandemic because they had lost … View moreElite New Zealand schools have claimed millions through the Government's wage subsidy, many of them while still charging full fees to students. Schools collecting full tuition fees said they were suffering as badly as any exposed business during the Covid-19 pandemic because they had lost income from international students and boarding fees. They still expected to make at least a 30 per cent loss, the threshold required to make the subsidy. However, at least one of the schools is now paying the money back after it overestimated the losses it would make. State schools are not eligible for the subsidy because the Government has guaranteed the wages of their staff. Private schools, on the other hand, are run as businesses and could apply if they expected a financial hit. A Ministry of Social Development database shows 21 private schools have claimed a total of $11.7m in wage subsidies so far. Most of them claimed the subsidy to cover the wages of non-teaching staff such as those in boarding houses or swimming schools. Others made much larger applications which included wages for teaching staff.
St Cuthbert's College in Auckland claimed $1.92 million for 302 staff members. It was still charging full fees during lockdown - between $20,000 and $25,000 a year for domestic students - though boarding fees had been reduced. Students were getting a "premium" online teaching service at home. "Our loss of revenue predictions at the outset of the lockdown were not based around any reduction in fees to parents," the school said through a spokeswoman. "They were based around a worst-case scenario of 30 per cent loss of revenue. This was predicted to be reduced revenue from our swim school, boarding, conferences and facility hire, and a roll decline." There was significant uncertainty about the scale and the length of the pandemic when it first arrived in this country, the school said. But six weeks later, it no longer expected a 30 per cent loss. St Cuthbert's had not spent any of the subsidy and planned to pay back "the bulk" of it. Some of the money would be kept because the swimming school had closed and the boarding facility expected to lose 30 per cent of its revenue.
Scots College in Wellington is also charging full fees, which run up to $22,000 a year. It claimed $1.2 million from the wage subsidy. The school did not respond to a request for comment. Private schools with a large number of international students or boarders had suffered particularly badly during the Covid-19 outbreak because the students had returned home and boarding schools had been forced to close. Dale Burden, principal of St Peter's School in Cambridge, said international students made up around 7 per cent of the school's roll. Some were stuck overseas when the lockdown was enforced, and others returned home. His school expected to lose "30 per cent and more" of its revenue and had claimed $2.15 million through the wage subsidy scheme.
It had also lost revenue by scrapping boarding fees (around $15,000 a year), its swim school, letting fees and business courses. The school had reduced tuition fees for students, Burden said, although some parents had insisted on paying their full fees and having the difference donated to a hardship fund for struggling families. The school charges between $19,000 and $25,000 for domestic students, and twice that amount for international students. Diocesan School for Girls claimed $174,000 for 38 staff. In a newsletter to parents, principal Heather McRae said this was to cover the costs of the swimming facility and boarding school, which were forced to close under the Covid-19 lockdown. The school was no longer charging boarders but had to cover the staff wages for the boarding facility - around $33,000. The school was still charging fees to students ($20,000-$24,000) and was providing intensive online classes. Families who had been financially hit by the lockdown could apply for relief, McRae said. Other top schools including King's College do not appear to have claimed the subsidy. It was also available to state-integrated schools, such as religious or "special character" schools. The Government has paid out more than $10 billion through the wage subsidy scheme.
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