Schools in the south are being hit hard by a powerful strain of flu, forcing one to close its doors altogether.
St Theresa's School in Bluff didn't open yesterday and will remain shut until Monday, with three-quarters of its 34 students and one of its two teachers sick.
The Southland Primary Principals' Association President Peter Forde says the strain is hitting children hard.
“They are really quite unwell,” he says.
“We’ve seen children very bouncy at nine o’clock in the morning and they’re very unwell by ten o’clock.”
Health officials warn the flu’s impact is likely to pick up in the North Island over the next few weeks.
RadioLIVE