The first COVID-19 cases of New Zealand after 24 days of having none came from the United Kingdom. According to BBC News' latest report, two new cases of coronavirus ended the country's more than 3-week streak of no new coronavirus infections were confirmed by New Zealand coming to have come from the UK.
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New Zealand's First Cases of COVID-19 in 24 Days Came From UK: Here's How NZ Took on Coronavirus
Special permission to attend the funeral of a parent was provided to both patients who are women from the same family and had traveled from the UK. Last week, New Zealand declared that the country was virus-free, lifting all its domestic restrictions. However, the country retained its strict border restrictions, allowing only essential workers and citizens to travel.
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Dr. Ashley Bloomfield, New Zealand's director-general of health, said that there was an agreed plan in place as part of the approval process, including travel arrangements and allowing exemptions to be granted. The women infected by SARS-CoV-2 virus, one in her 40s and another one in her 30s, entered quarantine after arriving in New Zealand from the UK on June 7, via Brisbane and Doha.
The individuals stayed in Auckland in a managed isolation hotel. They applied for an exemption on June 12 to visit their dying parent. Permission to travel to Wellington was given to them on June 13.
Two women become New Zealand's first cases of COVID-19 after 24-day-streak
The report stated that one of the women had mild symptoms of the virus. They used a private vehicle and did not use any public facilities during their journey going to Wellington. Dr. Bloomfield said that the single-family member in Wellington, with whom both women stayed, is currently in self-isolation. The women were confirmed to have been positive with the virus on Tuesday, June 16, after they were tested on Monday, June 15.
New Zealand's First Cases of COVID-19 in 24 Days Came From UK: Here's How NZ Took on Coronavirus
"Anyone being released for compassionate exemption [to be] tested and [have] a negative result before they are released," said Dr. Bloomfield.
According to a previous report of BBC News, New Zealand was able to have a free-coronavirus status because the government and its prime minister put people's health first, while other countries' imposition of social distancing measures were delayed because of the fear of economic damage.
"Surely, a dead or a dying population is bad for the economy," said Dr. Siouxie Wiles, Associate Professor at the University of Auckland. She is also responsible for regularly updating the New Zealand public on the latest coronavirus research and has also been advising the government.