A high-profile expert says letting people leave managed isolation early sounds worse than it is.
Two of New Zealand's three active cases were granted an exemption to visit a dying relative before being tested for COVID-19.
The Director-General of Health Dr Ashley Bloomfield says travellers will now be tested on day three and day 12 of managed isolation, after revelations it wasn't always happening.
Microbiologist Siouxsie Wiles says ramped-up testing of people in managed isolation is a great move because it will pick up cases in asymptomatic people. Up to 45 percent of people infected with the SARS-CoV-2 virus - which causes the disease - don't show symptoms, the latest research suggests.
"People have mild symptoms and haven't told anybody about them - but the fact that people have done that 14 days, that's really important."
She's not too concerned about people being let out of managed isolation, however. Dr Wiles says what's important is they isolate for 14 days - whether that's in managed isolation or not.
"Once you've gone past those 14 days and not had symptoms, you're not incubating the virus - you're not a risk to everybody else."
Managed isolation is differing from quarantine - the former are confined to a facility, the latter to just a room.
Dr Wiles, like Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern, warns more cases should be expected.
The pandemic is showing no signs of slowing overseas, with more than 150,000 new confirmed cases on Friday.
More than 6200 tests were conducted in New Zealand on Thursday following the new positive cases, with no new infections discovered.
