A new community case of COVID-19 has been discovered in a 56-year-old woman who exited managed isolation on January 13 after testing negative twice. 

COVID-19 response minister Chris Hipkins and director general of health Ashley Bloomfield confirmed the news at a media conference this afternoon.

The new case, the first since November 19 last year, could be a COVID-19 variant that has not been in New Zealand before. 

“We are working on the assumption that this is a positive case and that it is a more transmissible variant…” Ashley said. 

The woman returned to New Zealand from London, flying via Singapore, and arrived in Auckland on December 30. After her two negative tests, she left managed isolation at the Pullman Hotel on January 13 and became symptomatic on January 15.

After leaving managed isolation, she travelled around lower Northland before returning to her Northland home.

Her positive test was returned late last night, Ashley said, and another test, as well as genome sequencing, are being completed “as quickly as possible”.

The woman had been “scrupulous” in using the COVID-19 tracer app, Ashley said, and an interview had identified just four close contacts since leaving managed isolation.

Still, Ashley said the Ministry of Health was “casting the net wide” to ensure any potential community transmission is contained. This, he said, was “precautionary but vital”. 

The woman lives with one other person who is not symptomatic but has taken a test, with results pending, and this person is isolating. Additional testing centres are being set up in Northland, he said.

Chris said it was too early to speculate on possible response options like alert levels because the results of the genome sequencing and second test have not been received yet.

More information will be shared once the results of that testing were received, he said.

“Until we get a clearer picture we are asking New Zealanders to do what they have been doing all the way along,” Chris said, reiterating key health measures like staying home if unwell, seeking a test if symptomatic, using the COVID-19 tracer app (with bluetooth turned on), and washing hands frequently.

IMAGE: Supplied