The 56-year-old woman who tested positive for COVID-19 in Northland has the South African variant of the virus.
Health officials believe the source of the infection is likely a fellow returnee in Auckland's Pullman Hotel, where she was staying.
Two of her close contacts, including her husband and hairdresser, have tested negative. Results are still pending for her other contacts.
What you need to know
The 56-year-old left managed isolation on January 13 and developed symptoms on January 15 while she travelled around southern Northland and the outskirts of Auckland
Chris Hipkins says there is not yet evidence of community transmission in Northland, and it is also too early to speculate whether an alert level change is needed
It isn't yet known how the woman was infected, but it's likely it was direct. Genomic sequencing is underway to determine this
- As a result of her infection, 46 returnees at the Pullman Hotel will have to stay longer
- Australia has announced the suspension of quarantine-free travel for New Zealanders wanting to travel across the ditch.
These live updates have finished.
9:30pm - Epidemiologist Professor Michael Baker says it would be a "sensible idea" for the Government to build specialised quarantine facilities for pandemic diseases.
He told The Project on Monday the hotels New Zealand is using at the moment aren't designed specifically for quarantine.
"The core idea of actually having dedicated facilities is actually quite sensible and obviously the quarantine hotels we're using at the moment are hotels - they're not designed for that," he says.
"They are functioning reasonably but we may see problems with ventilation and people mixing."
9:15pm - People in Northland were waiting for as long as eight hours in testing queues on Monday.
There were so many people at one site the police were called in due to traffic safety concerns to ask those who weren't symptomatic to consider coming back on Tuesday.
Two people in line in Kamo had been at three of the places the infected woman visited and they both have symptoms, but after waiting in line for hours, they learned the testing centre was about to close for the day and they could miss out.
8:45pm - Passengers at Auckland Airport have told Newshub the suspension of the travel bubble with Australia is "unreal" and sad.
Leeanne Grobler was due to fly to Australia on Monday night and was about to board the plane when she was told her flight was cancelled.
"I was about to move to Australia to go and be with my family after all of this COVID stuff, and it's just unreal, just so short-notice," she says.
"We just sat there and they were like, 'the flight's been cancelled'. That was it, basically. We didn't really find out until a bit later."
The news made everyone in the airport "pretty upset" and left them shocked, she adds.
Another passenger, Julie McEwen, was also due to move to Australia on Monday night.
"We've packed up all our life. We came from Palmerston North, we packed up all our stuff, we were about to move to start new jobs, and start a new life because we couldn't get anything here, and now I don't know what's going to happen," she says.
"[I'm feeling] really, really sad, obviously, but we'll just try and stay positive and hopefully we have a good few days and can fly again, fingers crossed."
8:15pm - Detailed new maps that retrace the steps of the Northland woman who tested positive for COVID-19 have been released.
There are over 30 locations of interest the Ministry of Health has released after the woman scanned into dozens of places across Northland and the outskirts of Auckland.
7:45pm - Cook Islands Prime Minister Mark Brown says every person who had arrived in Rarotonga since January 13 will have been tested twice by Tuesday morning.
"A short time ago the New Zealand COVID Recovery Minister Chris Hipkins confirmed the community case in Northland is the South African strain. And that the source of the infection is highly likely to be a fellow returnee during the person's stay at the Pullman Hotel in Auckland," he says.
As a precaution earlier today, Te Marae Ora tested all 40 passengers who arrived on Friday's flight. All test results came back negative. Also, those passengers who arrived on January 15 and 19 all provided negative tests results before departing New Zealand.
Those who arrived on the 15th were swabbed last week and those swabs were sent to New Zealand on Sunday, and the handful of passengers who arrived on Tuesday will be tested on Wednesday.
7:10pm - Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has responded to Australia's decision to suspend quarantine-free travel.
"I was advised late this afternoon of Australia's decision by the Prime Minister," she says.
"I advised him that we have confidence in our systems and processes, but it is Australia's decision as to how they manage their borders."
6:50pm - Air New Zealand says the suspension of quarantine-free travel will impact five of its services over the next 72 hours.
"Air New Zealand currently operates quarantine-free flights between Auckland and Brisbane, Melbourne, Sydney and transiting flights through Norfolk Island," a spokesperson says.
"Customers booked on these services are being contacted and the airline will reaccommodate customers once further advice has been received from the Australian government.
"We understand this is disappointing news for customers and we thank them for their patience and understanding."
6:30pm - The Australian government has announced that for the next 72 hours, all new arrivals from New Zealand will have to quarantine rather than go straight into the country.
Previously, Kiwis could travel to and arrive in Australia without the need for quarantine.
Anyone who arrived in Australia from New Zealand on or since January 14 is asked to get tested for COVID-19 and self-isolate until they get a negative result.
The country's Health Minister Greg Hunt says passengers coming from New Zealand to Australia should "reconsider their need to travel".
The decision came after Australian authorities became concerned over the new case here.
"As a result, the Australian government, based on advice from the Australian Health Protection Principal Committee (AHPPC), has suspended green zone travel arrangements with New Zealand for a minimum of 72 hours whilst more is learnt about the transmission. This change comes into effect immediately," Hunt says.
"The decision has been taken out of an abundance of caution to reduce the risk of this variant, which has been shown to spread more readily between individuals, entering the Australian community."
6:05pm - There are two more locations of interest compared to the list released last night by the Ministry of Health.
These are Carpet Court Whangarei and Farmers Whangarei.
She visited Carpet Court on January 15 between 10am and 11:20am, and visited Farmers on January 15 between 11:10am and 12:15pm.
If you were at one of these locations during the relevant timeframe, the ministry advises you to stay at home, contact Healthline, then if needed, get tested, and isolate while waiting for your results.
6pm - It's time for Newshub Live at 6pm. Watch online here or tune in on Three to see the latest on the Northland community case.
5:30pm - Another world leader has contracted COVID-19.
Mexico's President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador said on Sunday he had tested positive for the virus amid the country's deadliest week yet in the coronavirus pandemic, which has pushed the health system of the Mexican capital to its limits.
The 67-year-old president, who was a heavy smoker until suffering a major heart attack in 2013, said in a tweet that his symptoms were light and he was receiving treatment.
"As always, I am optimistic," said Lopez Obrador, who has resisted wearing a face mask in public since the virus reached Mexico over 10 months ago.
The president, who is back in Mexico City after a three-day visit to parts of northern and central Mexico, said he would continue working, and still planned to take part in a call with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Monday morning.
But the veteran leftist will step back from his regular public schedule, which has dominated the country's political life since he first took office in December 2018.
Critics have railed incessantly against his management of the health crisis, but despite a mounting toll of nearly 150,000 dead, his popularity has risen during the pandemic, according a daily tracking poll by polling firm Consulta Mitofsky.
- Reuters
5pm - There's updated information for people wanting to get a test in Kaikohe.
The centre is at Te Hau Ora O Ngāpuhi GP Clinic, 113 Broadway St, but it is now by appointment only, until further notice.
People can call 0800 484 006 and hold for reception. From there, they will be triaged, and an appointment will be made.
4:40pm - There was a sudden increase in people searching the word 'assiduous' on Sunday afternoon - and it's probably all thanks to Dr Bloomfield.
In speaking about the locations visited by the woman at the centre of this case, Dr Bloomfield hailed how scrupulous she'd been in making note of where she'd been, notably saying she was "extremely assiduous" in using the COVID Tracer app.
But his compliment clearly bamboozled most Kiwis, who took to Google's search function in their droves to find out just what the word means.
4:20pm - Air New Zealand says its new mask-wearing mandate on all international flights was a "proactive" decision by the airline since cases around the world continue to rise, a spokesperson tells Newshub.
The company wouldn't answer directly when asked why mask-use hasn't been mandatory up until this point, or whether it accepts that possible earlier enforcement of this rule may have prevented the virus spreading on inbound aircraft.
"Air New Zealand continues to implement travel requirements from both New Zealand and overseas governments," the spokesperson says.
"We have a number of procedures in place within our operation to protect customers, aircrew and New Zealand."
4pm - Across the ditch, Australia on Monday approved the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine for use but warned AstraZeneca's international production problems mean the country would need to distribute a locally manufactured shot earlier than planned.
The country's medical regulator was one of the first in the world to complete a comprehensive approval of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine, Prime Minister Scott Morrison said on Monday, noting it was a year since the first local coronavirus case was detected.
Vaccination of priority groups with the Pfizer vaccine is expected to begin in late February, at 80,000 doses per week, Health Minister Greg Hunt told reporters.
Pfizer had told the Australian government it anticipated continuous supply but would provide global production guidance "in mid-February for March and beyond on a weekly basis," he said.
The Australian rollout update comes after AstraZeneca Plc told European Union officials on Friday it would cut deliveries of its vaccine to the bloc by 60 percent in the first quarter due to production problems.
Hunt said AstraZeneca had advised Australia the company has “had a significant supply shock and so that means we won’t have as much of that AstraZeneca international in March as they had previously promised”.
Australia will start CSL's domestic supply of the AstraZeneca vaccine in March, earlier than planned, at 1 million doses a week, he said.
"The decision to pay a premium for an onshore, secure, sovereign vaccine manufacturing capacity via CSL, that puts Australia in a vastly more secure position than almost any other country in the world," Hunt said.
Australia has set a target of 4 million vaccine doses by April.
- Reuters
3:40pm - The Ngātiwai Trust Board says it is concerned about the lack of COVID-19 testing centres to keep up with demand in the Whangarei-Kaipara region.
Ngātiwai Trust Board chairperson Aperahama Kerepeti-Edwards says they've had a number of kaumātua and whānau contact them "distressed and anxious".
"They have said that they are arriving at the testing centres only to find huge queues and wait times of three hours or more. They are sitting in their cars in near 30 degree heat, getting hot, thirsty and distressed," he says.
"At both of the community-based testing centres here in Whangarei and Kamo, whānau are telling us the wait times are horrendous. We are encouraging our whānau who are feeling unwell, showing symptoms or have been to one of the locations identified as visited by this person to go get tested, however when attending a testing station there are not enough staff to cope with the increased demand."
He wants health officials to provide clear communications to their iwi and community on all the testing options available locally, including at GPs.
Kerepeti-Edwards says Ngātiwai rohe is heavily populated during the summer months, with some areas doubling in population during this time. He believes this will contribute to testing stations being under pressure and it should be considered in how many testing centres are made available.
"We are calling on the Government and the Northland District Health Board to move urgently and provide more resource into testing," he says.
He acknowledged the nurses and those working on the front line at these testing centres, saying they know how hard they all work and the strain they're under. He just wants them to be better-assisted in completing the task ahead of them.
3:20pm - National's COVID-19 Response spokesperson Chris Bishop says the Government urgently needs to tighten up MIQ facilities, including launching a review on them that has a focus on mingling between cohorts.
"National has been concerned for some time about how MIQ facilities are being run, particularly for high risk arrivals. Anecdotal evidence we have heard from people in MIQ about how they are being managed has been extremely concerning," he says.
"New Zealand should adopt a risk-based approach in our MIQ facilities. This means segmenting arrivals depending on where they have come from, placing arrivals from high risk areas - such as the UK, US, and South Africa - into their own dedicated hotels."
Bishop believes eliminating shared space in high risk hotels until the first negative test result should also be considered.
"The Government can't afford to be complacent with this new threat. We must plug this gap in the system now before it’s too late."
3pm - A quick reminder on testing sites across Northland and Auckland, if you're required to get one.
For further information about community testing sites in Northland, click here.
Find your nearest testing location via Healthpoint here.
Two pop-up community testing clinics are open from Monday to Wednesday. A Mangawhai Community Testing Centre is located at Mangawhai Domain, 75 Moir Street, and a Helensville Community Testing Centre is located at Te Whare Oranga ō Parakai, 11 Parakai Ave, Parakai. For opening hours, click here.
New Zealanders are urged to stay home if unwell and to maintain stringent hygiene practices - including thoroughly washing and drying hands and coughing or sneezing into the elbow. Healthline can be contacted on 0800 358 5453.
2:45pm - More than 160 people were notified through the COVID Tracer App that they visited locations of interest, according to the Ministry of Health. People who were in the vicinity of the woman and have enabled Bluetooth functionality on their app have also started to receive notifications.
It has also been confirmed the woman became infected from another person in managed isolation after whole genome sequencing linked the case.
"Their genome sequencing results are identical, leading us to suspect a managed isolation facility transmission," MoH says.
Early information suggests the transmission occurred between January 9 and January 13.
"Routine testing picked up COVID-19 in the other guest, and this person was transferred to the Auckland quarantine facility on 13 January.They have been classified as recovered and were due to be released but will be asked to stay on for now," they say.
"As expected, there have been other cases in the same MIF and we are investigating any possible links between cases to exclude transmission within the MIF."
2:30pm - There are also long queues at the Northcote testing station on Auckland's North Shore which are causing traffic delays nearby, many on social media are saying.
Google Maps traffic data shows there is heavy traffic on parts of College Rd - which is where the testing centre is - and Kilham Ave. Traffic is also backed up at the Northcote roundabout, according to social media posts.
2:15pm - National's Chris Penk, who is the MP for Kaipara ki Mahurangi, says there are "massive queues" at the Parakai testing station between Helensville and South Head.
He believes the queue at one point was about 102 vehicles long and was progressing at about 15 cars per hour.
"Very approximate so wouldn't estimate the total wait time with any more certainty than 'very very long'," he says.
"At the front of the queue earlier in the afternoon they were getting through in slightly under three hours."
1:55pm - The woman visited two supermarkets as she was travelling around Northland and the outskirts of Auckland - FreshChoice Ruakaka and Countdown Helensville.
She visited FreshChoice on January 14 between 3:03pm and 4:33pm and also on January 16 between 11:10am and 12:15pm. She also visited the Countdown store on January 19 between 1:46pm and 3:01pm.
A Countdown spokesperson says the Countdown team who worked in the store in the 19th are at home isolating. The Helensville store was deep cleaned on Sunday night and is open today.
"This is obviously disappointing news for our Countdown Helensville and FreshChoice Ruakaka store teams, but we wholeheartedly thank the customer for using the app to scan in so that we could quickly alert our stores," Countdown general manager of safety Kiri Hannifin says.
"We've acted on the information immediately and any team members who were working during the times confirmed by the Ministry are being asked not to come to work again, to stay home, self-isolate and get tested.
"We understand and support the cautious approach being taken, and as always, we strongly encourage all customers to use the app when visiting our stores and to stay home if they're feeling unwell."
1:46pm - Initial results from close contacts of the 56-year-old woman should be back later today, so health officials expect that within 48 hours, they'll have a good idea of how far the virus has spread.
1:43pm - Those who are organising Waitangi Day events are advised to follow public health measures and stay vigilant.
"We have got a group of senior officials who will be reaching out to Ngā Puhi and Ngāti Whātua on Waitangi events," Dr Bloomfield says.
1:38pm - Hipkins is urging all businesses to look at their QR codes since some are tatty and difficult to scan.
"I've seen people give up if they're struggling with scanning," he says.
For hospitality businesses, if customers are showing up to a table, they should be asked if they've scanned in, he says.
1:35pm - Dr Bloomfield says they'll be doing a thorough investigation into whether there's a gap in border protocol and how that could be addressed.
He also acknowledged the question of whether historical cases should be included in numbers, and they'll be looking to see if they should still be reporting those cases, adding that most other countries don't.
1:27pm - Dr Bloomfield said the Northland woman may not have infected her husband because she had muscle aches as symptoms rather than coughing and spluttering.
1:22pm - Hipkins said the person with the South African variant arrived in New Zealand just before the day zero requirement was introduced. She tested positive on day three which was the Northland woman's second to last day in managed isolation. It is not yet known whether transmission was direct or via aerosol or surface.
Hipkins said it is highly unlikely that it was an extra-long incubation period so extending the 14-day isolation is probably not the best course of action.
Officials are looking at the Pullman's air conditioning units to see whether they were a factor.
1:21pm - Dr Bloomfield said anyone getting a COVID-19 test should plan for a wait and bring food and water.
1:20pm - Hipkins said rumours circulating on social media about a lockdown are fake.
1:16pm - There are six new cases in managed isolation today. Yesterday there were 2678 COVID tests.
1:12pm - Director-General of Health Dr Ashley Bloomfield says the South African variant may be more transmissible, but it's not yet known.
He said the variant may evade some aspects of the body's normal immune response. He also added that strains are not confined to specific countries and several variants have already been seen in New Zealand.
Bloomfield also thanked the woman for her use of the app which allowed officials to follow up quickly.
"I can't thank the person enough," he said.
1:05pm- Hipkins says the confirmed COVID case has a South African variant and the source of infection is likely a fellow returnee in managed isolation.
He said they don't yet know exactly how the woman was infected but it was likely direct and investigations are ongoing.
Hipkins said so far everything suggests the woman did the right thing and adhered to the guidelines.
He said as a result of the infection 46 at the Pullman Hotel will have to stay longer.
1:02pm - Air New Zealand has introduced mask wearing on all international flights from tomorrow.
Chief Operational Integrity and Safety Officer David Morgan says the airline continues to proactively review operational processes to keep its customers, employees and New Zealand safe.
"As COVID-19 cases around the world continue to rise, particularly with new variant strains, we've put this requirement in place to further ensure the safety of our customers, aircrew and broader New Zealand."
1:00pm - Newshub reporter Madison Reidy said people in Northland have been waiting for hours for a COVID test.
"Some people do think the logistics were a bit sloppy; it's pretty clear they weren't prepared."
Reidy said there are no bathrooms near the testing centre so people have been relieving themselves in the bushes nearby.
12:50pm - COVID-19 Response Minister Chris Hipkins and Director- General of Health Dr Ashley Bloomfield are providing a coronavirus update. Watch the live update below.
12:23pm - Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern is calling for Kiwis to treat the recent COVID case with kindness.
"This happens almost every time we have a COVID case - sometimes there is a tendency to blame," Ardern told her followers during a Facebook live on Sunday night.
"The message I want to share here is the most important thing for us is that people when they are unwell they continue to get tested.
"People are less likely to do that if they feel like they will be attacked if they happen to test positive. So we really need people not to pile in on anyone if they do the right thing by having a COVID test."
She said it was yet to be determined where the woman had been infected but the information should be known in about 24 hours.
Read more here.
12:10pm - Hipkins is defending New Zealand's vaccine rollout.
The COVID-19 Response Minister told The AM Show while some countries already have the vaccines, it is because they are dealing with "life and death".
"The countries that are doing vaccinations now are doing them using emergency approvals. The vaccine companies have prioritised them because obviously, they are dealing with life and death with hundreds, if not thousands of people in some of the countries, dying on a daily basis.
He said New Zealand has secured access to some of the earliest supplies which will be administered almost as soon as they arrive in the country.
"They won't arrive in one big hit. They will arrive in waves and we are expecting our next shipment in this quarter so before March."
Watch the full video here.
11:57am Newshub reporter Madison Reidy says the Marsden Point testing station is "nuts" with queues in both directions.
11:32am - Whangarei resident Rob O'Neill said the queues at the Winger Crescent testing centre are "long but orderly" with "no blind panic evident".
11:26am - Information about community testing sites can be found here. You can find your nearest testing location via Healthpoint here.
Two pop-up community testing clinics are open from Monday to Wednesday. A Mangawhai Community Testing Centre is located at Mangawhai Domain, 75 Moir Street, and a Helensville Community Testing Centre is located at Te Whare Oranga ō Parakai, 11 Parakai Ave, Parakai. For opening hours, click here.
New Zealanders are urged to stay home if unwell and to maintain stringent hygiene practices - including thoroughly washing and drying hands and coughing or sneezing into the elbow. Healthline can be contacted on 0800 358 5453.
11:20am - ACT leader David Seymour has rebuked the Government for its "reckless" delay in releasing the list of locations visited by the woman.
The Ministry of Health released the list around 9pm on Sunday after confirming the case at 4pm.
Seymour says people cannot take proactive action by isolating or organising a test unless they are given the necessary information.
"The rule should be: tell the people, trust the people. People want to take responsibility and isolate and get tested, but they can't do that if they don't know which locations the infected person's been at," he said.
"This Government has a responsibility to treat New Zealanders as adults - and tell them and trust them - so they can take responsibility fully informed. People can't make a decision to [get a] test or self-isolate or take responsibility in general if the Government will not trust them with basic information.
Read more here.
11:00am - Photos show large queues building at the Helensville COVID-19 testing centre.
Newshub reporter Wilhelmina Shrimpton said most people are waiting 30 minutes to an hour for a test.
She said things are fairly calm and most of those queuing are not symptomatic but have visited one of the 30 hotspots.
10:40am - The Royal New Zealand College of General Practitioners is calling for GPs to increase swabbing for COVID-19 after the community case.
President Dr Samantha Murton and Medical Director Dr Bryan Betty said doctors who are the frontline defence against COVID need to be prepared to step up measures again to keep New Zealanders safe.
"The latest COVID-19 community case in Northland is something we had hoped would not happen but knew we would face at some stage," Dr Murton said.
"Once again general practice needs to be prepared to provide COVID-19 swabbing, as able, and also protect patients and staff."
Dr Betty said New Zealand is in a "unique position in our response to COVID-19 and this is a stark reminder of the issues we confront with COVID-19 and the need for vigilance throughout the year".
"GPs are at the frontline of the fight against COVID-19 and we are proud of your efforts to date."
10:20am - Auckland business owner Aaron Watson is "disgusted" he hasn't been contacted by the Ministry of Health after the confirmed case visited his store.
Watson, who owns South Head General Store, says it was "devastating" to find out that his business was listed.
"It's quite scary and it's disgusting, absolutely disgusting. Why hasn't anyone got in contact with us? I mean we are on the list and we found out on Facebook from a friend last night," he said.
"Very honestly we are devastated, we are shattered, we've been up most of the night. We only found out just after nine last night."
Read more here.
9:30am - Infectious disease expert David Murdoch says New Zealand shouldn't wait for a 'wake up call' COVID-19 case to improve the country's border systems.
Murdoch said New Zealand is doing well at containing and managing COVID-19 but more needs to be done.
"If you look at the sheer numbers coming through and the number of cases, you'd say that we are doing quite well because this is a rare event," he said.
"But we should always be looking at how we can improve our system and not just at times when we have a case. Obviously, that focuses the mind but we should be looking all the time at how we can improve the system."
Read more here.
8:30am - In an opinion piece, the AM Show host Duncan Garner says the new community case raises more questions than answers.
"Our first community case since November last year raises more questions than answers.
I'm nervous. I don't want us to face new lockdowns. We're still enjoying summer, our freedoms, skiting to the world that we beat COVID-19.
But how did COVID-19 appear after two negative tests and two weeks in managed isolation? It's got our experts baffled."
Read more here.
7:43am - Hipkins says the woman's husband and hairdresser, who were classed as close contacts, have tested negative.
"They are the first of the close contact test results to come through. This woman only had six close contacts, there were some additional contacts of people who potentially could have been contacts," Hipkins said.
"So two out of six so far, that's good."
"There will be a lot of testing over the next 24 to 48 hours of that wider group of contacts."
Hipkins said the woman's wider contacts should have received an alert through the COVID-19 Tracer app and should self isolate and get a test.
He said so far no one else has returned a positive test and stressed that it's still too early to know whether an alert level change or lockdown is necessary.
"At this point the piece of the puzzle, as always, is identifying where this person picked up COVID-19 - whether it was something they brought with them into the country and it had an unnaturally or an unusually long incubation period, whether they picked it up in managed isolation, or somewhere else.
"Our investigation looks at all of those things and until we really have been able to identify that it's difficult to make any predictions about what might happen."
Read more here.
7:00am - Northland residents are on high alert after the Ministry of Health released a list of 30 locations that were visited by a confirmed case of COVID-19.
Newshub reporter Madison Reidy said locals are on edge as they wait for more information.
"We know that she visited 30 locations so there probably will be some panic among the people, in this area and as far south as Helensville near Auckland, who did visit those places," she said.
"I would imagine they are feeling a bit apprehensive this morning and they should be self-isolated as we speak and are going to get a test today."
She said there will be extra popup testing facilities in the area to meet any added demand.
Read more here.
