Coronavirus: 71 people released from managed isolation after refusing COVID-19 test

Hundreds more are being contacted for testing by the Ministry of Health
Hundreds more are being contacted for testing by the Ministry of Health Photo credit: Getty

The Ministry of Health has confirmed 71 people left managed isolation despite refusing to be tested for COVID-19. 

On Friday the Ministry revealed out of the 2159 people in managed isolation between June 9 and 16, 1186 people have been contacted and tested negative.

However 71 people refused to be tested for the virus and were let back into the community untested.

On top of those who refused, 14 people granted an exemption from managed isolation were not tested.

"[They] will not be tested either on the basis of health, because they are a child, they have declined, they can no longer be contacted, or they have left the country," read the statement from the Ministry.

"These people have been assessed as presenting a very low risk due to the nature of their exemption, adherence to their required protocols and the negative test results of people associated with their bubble."

There are also hundreds of people being chased up by the Ministry for testing. 

"We are still in the process of connecting with 632 people," it said.

A total of 164 people provided invalid phone numbers, so the Ministry has referred them through to finding services. 

A further 199 people have been referred for a test "which we do not yet have a result for".

The news comes as New Zealand announces one new COVID-19 case - a man in his 30s who arrived in the country on June 21 from Kenya.

His case brings New Zealand's total active cases to 14 - there is still no evidence of community transmission.