A second case of coronavirus has been confirmed in New Zealand, with the infected woman having recently arrived in the country from Italy.
The latest infection is a New Zealand citizen, a woman in her early 30s who recently returned from a trip to northern Italy and rapidly became ill.
The woman’s partner is also showing symptoms of the illness, health authorities said today, and is currently being tested.
On Monday night health authorities began “contact tracing” people around New Zealand who had been exposed to the woman, including those on an Air New Zealand flight from Singapore to Auckland on 25 February, and a return Air New Zealand flight from Auckland to Palmerston North on 2 March.
“The woman is in self-isolation in her home with appropriate clinical support from public health and district health board staff,” said the ministry of health in a press release.
“The woman’s immediate household contacts are with her in self-isolation as a precautionary measure.”
The woman also visited two medical centres in New Zealand seeking advice for her symptoms, and two schools have also been contacted as the woman’s family members attend these schools.
Health authorities said with “continued vigilance” the chance of widespread community outbreak in New Zealand was expected to remain low.
Director-General of health Dr Ashley Bloomfield said the affected family needed kindness from their fellow New Zealanders.
“I want to say that this is a Kiwi family that has been affected by a virus that is part of a worldwide outbreak. What they need is support and understanding.”
Last week New Zealand confirmed its first case of the disease in Auckland, and that person, recently arrived from Iran, is now recovering.
More than 70 countries have now reported cases of the virus, with the hotspots remaining in China, south Korea, northern Italy, Thailand, Japan and Iran.
On Monday prime minister Jacinda Ardern said travel bans currently in place for anyone arriving from China and Iran will continue for a further week, while people entering the country from South Korea and northern Italy will now be told to go into self-isolation for two weeks.
