Eight new Covid-19 cases at the border over two days, one community case under investigation

There are eight new Covid-19 cases at the border to report over the past two days in New Zealand and one positive community case which is being investigated.

Health officials are investigating one positive test result found in Northland. The Ministry of Health said in a statement today that the person tested positive after departing a managed isolation and quarantine facility.

Further information will be provided at a press conference with Covid-19 Response Minister Chris Hipkins and Director-General of Health Dr Ashley Bloomfield at 4pm. 

The community case comes a little more than two months after the country saw its last community case.

Today's new border cases are as follows: 

- One case who arrived in the country on January 9 from South Africa via the United Arab Emirates and Malaysia, where they tested positive on Day 13 testing after becoming symptomatic.

- One case who arrived on January 9 from the United Kingdom via the UAE and Malaysia, where they tested positive on Day 13 after becoming symptomatic.

- One case who arrived in the country on January 17 from the UAE, where they tested positive around Day 5 routine testing.

- One case who arrived on January 18 from the US, and tested positive around Day 3 testing.

- One case who arrived on January 18 from the US via Hong Kong, where they tested positive around Day 3 testing.

- One case who arrived on January 19 from Ethiopia via the UAE and Malaysia, where they tested positive around Day 3 testing. 

- One case who arrived on January 21 from South Africa via Qatar and Brisbane, where they tested positive around Day 0 testing. 

- One case who arrived on January 21 from India via the UAE and Malaysia around Day 0 testing. 

All other cases were detected at the border, and are in managed isolation and quarantine facilities in Auckland.

One previously reported case has now recovered, bringing the total number of active cases in New Zealand to 79.

The total number of confirmed cases in the country now stands at 1,927.

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The total number of tests processed by laboratories to date is 1,487,234.

The seven-day rolling average up to yesterday is 3,335 tests processed.

On Thursday, the Health Ministry said on its website 11 of New Zealand's recent Covid-19 cases were identified as being the more contagious UK variant. Six others have been confirmed to be the South African variant.