New Zealand reports 2 new coronavirus cases after 24 days

New Zealand has reported 2 new coronavirus cases after 24 days.

Both women had come from the UK and were granted special permission to attend the funeral of a parent. They are both from the same family.

New Zealand had lifted domestic lockdown restrictions. Prime Minister Jacinda Arden had declared the country as virus-free.
However, the country has not lifted border restrictions.

Exemptions can be given. New Zealand’s director-general of health, said there was an “agreed plan in place as part of the approval process [including] the travel arrangements”.

The infected women, one in their 30s and one in their 40s, come to New Zealand from the UK on the 7 June, via Doha and Brisbane. They were quarantined.

They were in quarantine in Auckland and they asked for an exemption on 12th June to visit the parent.

One of the patients had mild symptoms. Both the women traveled to Wellington in a private vehicle and did not use any public facilities during this journey. They stayed with a single family member in Wellington. The member is in self-isolation.

Dr. Ashley Bloomfield, director-general of health said that he asked for “anyone being released for compassionate exemption [to be] tested and [have] a negative result” before they are released.

New Zealand is now free of coronavirus