Across New Zealand, 164 schools, kura, and early childhood education centres are managing Covid cases, according to new data released by the Ministry of Education.

The figures come as New Zealand records its highest number of Covid cases ever, with a 981 increase in the daily total on Monday. There are now 4960 active community cases of Covid-19 in New Zealand.

While most of the affected schools, 93, are in Auckland with 44 of them being primary schools, the Bay of Plenty has also had some of its education centres affected.

Pongakawa School moved to offsite learning last week after advice from the Medical Officer of Health and the Director of Education Bay of Plenty, according to a notice for parents from principal Craig Haggo.

The decision comes after travellers on a bus from Pukehina were considered close contacts of a Covid-19 case from February 1.

In a post on Facebook overnight, principal Craig Haggo says his thoughts and best wishes are with those people and families who are coping with covid infections at the moment. It is very quick spreading and seems to have different ways it affects people, he says.

"For those of you who have been lucky enough to avoid catching this thing, please do be vigilant and take sensible precautions. If in doubt, get tested and stay home.

"I am picking that many of you will be wondering why I have not been sending out more of those close contact letters. Unfortunately I need to tell you that the contact tracing system must have already become overwhelmed as I have had no contact from them (through the MOE) since last Wednesday.

"I do know we have and continue to get more cases but unless the family contacts me directly, we will not have heard. Many thanks to those of you who have."

Craig says while the school has continued with off-site learning this week, unless he is told differently by the various ministries, he is keen for the school to move back to onsite learning next week.

"It will certainly mean, like all schools, we will have students and staff coming and going with illness and this will make for challenging times, but it seems the best option to me long term. Please understand while my leadership team and I have discussed this if we are given direction that differs we will of course need to adhere to it.

"It would also appear the country will need to move to Red Level Phase two as case numbers ramp up. I have no doubt schools will be given new guidelines to follow, so any or all of the previous paragraph could become redundant."

Up in Auckland, 170 pupils from Balmoral School in Mt Eden are isolating at home after two cases attended the school on Tuesday last week – the school's first day back.

Balmoral School was alerted to the cases on Friday. Six teachers are also isolating.

The students were years 2 and 8 and were sharing 'flexible learning spaces”, according to principal Malcolm Milner.

Parents picking up their children from Balmoral School on Monday were concerned with the social aspect of isolation after their children had already missed so much schooling.

Michael Tagg says the exposure is disappointing but it's 'nothing too surprising and nothing to be too much concerned for”.

Tagg, whose children at Balmoral are 7 and 9 years old, is mostly worried about the virus getting to his children's elderly relatives and his kids missing out on seeing their school friends.

'Ideally, not having more at-home schooling would be wonderful. We love the fact the kids are back at school enjoying their day,” he says.

Natasha Mannering, who has a 9-year-old at Balmoral School, says the cases made her nervous, but she also worried about losing the social side of school.

'The learning and the social interaction is just as important as the health side of things.”

Mannering says she has to now be as 'cautious as you can” with taking the kids to after-school events, such as swimming, but that life had to go on.

'It's school, you want them to carry on. They missed so much last year that the school and the social thing is just as important.”

She praises how the school has handled the exposure saying they had done 'really well” with it.

Mannering said she works from home and taking care of her kid's schooling and working was challenging.

Only 17 schools are managing cases in Wellington, three more than the Bay of Plenty.

No schools in Taranaki, Whanganui, or Manawatū are managing cases.

Only four schools are managing Covid in the South Island.

-Additional reporting by Lucy Xia and James Halpin/Stuff.