Hon CHRIS HIPKINS: While we're seeing widespread school shutdowns elsewhere in the world, in New Zealand we do not yet have community transmission. Pre-emptive school closures can have unintended consequences—for example, children may need to be cared for by vulnerable grandparents or they may be put into social settings that could make things worse. At this stage, there is no public health reason for mass school closures. We are planning for temporary and targeted closures like what is happening at Logan Park High School where they are required. But, as the World Health Organization has confirmed, the risks to children remain low, and parents should continue to send their kids to schools and early learning centres unless they are unwell. However, as part of our wider planning for every scenario, it is still important that schools and early learning services are ready to provide distance education, not necessarily because of closure, but, in some cases, for periods of self-isolation. 