In the space of a week New Zealand has gone from zero active cases of COVID-19 to nine as another two cases were confirmed today (Monday June 22).

The director-general of health Dr Ashley Bloomfield said the two new cases were the result of testing of recent arrivals to New Zealand who were in managed isolation in Auckland.

One case is a teenager travelling with her family who arrived in New Zealand on June 13. Her only symptom was a runny nose and her family have not tested positive. They have all been moved into quarantine.

The second case is a man in his 30s travelling with his wife from India who arrived in New Zealand on June 15. Neither the man nor his wife have reported any symptoms but both have been relocated to a quarantine hotel.

Both cases were on the same flights, one originating from Pakistan, the other from India, as two other passengers who recently returned positive results to COVID-19 testing. 

The addition of the two new cases brings New Zealand’s total confirmed COVID-19 cases to 1163.

Labs completed 3,402 tests yesterday, including 430 tests of people staying in managed isolation facilities.

Ashley said anyone who left a managed isolation facility since June 9 is being or has been tested. Anyone who has been in such a facility and has not been contacted has been asked to contact a dedicated health line: 09 302 0408.

He said 55 people were granted compassionate exemptions to leave the isolation facilities without being tested. Four of those were children who were not tested, but all others have now been tested and returned negative results, except one who is still being contacted.

With 4272 people in managed isolation, facilities in Auckland have reached their maximum capacity. Almost 900 more travellers are expected to arrive in Auckland in the next two days and two new managed isolated facilities were opened in Rotorua over the weekend.

There are also discussions about the possibility of using campervans again as was seen after the first flight out of Wuhan, in February, to provide additional capacity in Auckland.

PHOTO: RNZ