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Last Updated : 2024-04-26 08:00:00
New Zealand said on Tuesday that it has two new cases of the coronavirus, both related to recent travel from the UK, ending a 24-day streak of no new infections in the country.
The new infections are a set back to New Zealand, which lifted all social and economic restrictions except border controls last week, declaring it had no new or active cases of the coronavirus, one of the first countries in the world to return to pre-pandemic normality.
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern had warned that new cases may come up in the future as New Zealanders return home, and some others were allowed in under special conditions.
The two new cases were women aged in their 30s and 40s who visited a dying parent in Wellington, the director general of health said in a news conference.
Both women arrived in New Zealand on June 7 from the UK, via Doha and Brisbane and were in an isolation facility in Auckland. They were given special permission to leave the facility to visit the dying parent in Wellington. Both are self isolating now, Ashley Bloomfield said.
This takes the total number of cases recorded in the country to 1,506 cases, deaths from the disease remain at 22.
New Zealand's 5 million people emerged from the pandemic while big economies such as Brazil, Britain, India and the United States continue to grapple with spread of the virus.
This was largely due to strict restrictions in which most businesses were shut and everyone except essential workers had to stay home.
Ardern has been wary of saying the country was 'COVID-free' as the global pandemic raged around the world and new cases were likely to come to the country.
mano Tuesday, 16 June 2020 05:29 PM
NZ detected these 2 people at their borders after initially giving permission to let them in to NZ. But how did UK allow them to leave their shores without first testing them. These 2 should have been stopped at UK airport
dickie bird Tuesday, 16 June 2020 10:47 PM
Country was locked down. PM did not permit or bring back any New Zeelanders back to the Country. Announced NZ as COVID free but need to realise COVID was within the country despite the lockdown
Julie Ann Zabinski Wednesday, 17 June 2020 08:06 AM
The two women were given compassionate leave to enter. They had responsibilities to (1) get tested before leaving the UK and (2) report any symptoms. They did neither. Sorry about their loss, but this is totally irresponsible behaviour, and not the fault of the NZ government.
Julie Ann Zabinski Wednesday, 17 June 2020 08:04 AM
Why the hell weren't these women tested before leaving the UK? And I am sorry for their loss, but one of them knew she had symptoms. So much for NZ being kind.
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