WELLINGTON, June 27 (Xinhua) -- Two new cases of COVID-19 were reported in New Zealand overnight, bringing the number of total active cases in the country to 16, said the Ministry of Health in a statement on Saturday.
Both new cases are in their 20s who arrived in New Zealand from India. One of them tested negative as part of a routine testing, but was tested positive as part of her assessment several days later when she was taken into Auckland Hospital for a different medical issue.
Director-General of Health Ashley Bloomfield said the person's initial negative test result was not unexpected as it is possible that the woman was in the early stages of incubating the disease at her initial test.
"What this case highlights is the importance of 14 days spent in managed isolation or quarantine together with daily symptom checks," said Bloomfield.
Over the last two weeks, the COVID-19 pandemic is still accelerating overseas and new cases are to be expected at New Zealand border, which is why the country has strict border controls in place, said the Ministry of Health statement.
The current total number of confirmed cases of COVID-19 in New Zealand is 1,172.
During the last 24 hours, New Zealand laboratories completed 9,178 tests, bringing the total number of tests completed to date to 387,435. Enditem
