A person has been transferred to a managed isolation facility in Christchurch after they were identified by New South Wales' (NSW) health authorities as a contact of a community case of COVID-19.
The person visited a location of interest at the same time as one of the two positive cases detected in Sydney this week. The first case visited a number of public places while he was unknowingly infectious, with his wife later testing positive for the virus on Thursday.
The contact - who is asymptomatic - has been tested for COVID-19. Their results are expected to return on Saturday.
"New Zealand remains in close contact with health authorities in NSW as their investigation into the two cases of COVID-19 in the Sydney community continues," the ministry said on Friday.
"The Ministry of Health will continue to closely monitor the situation in NSW this weekend."
As of Friday afternoon, no new locally acquired cases have been identified in NSW. There is no further information on the epidemiological link between the two existing cases and an imported case detected at the border, to whom they are genomically linked.
On Thursday, COVID-19 Response Minister Chris Hipkins announced quarantine-free travel between NSW and New Zealand would be temporarily paused. The suspension came into effect at 11:59pm.
"The travel pause prevents anyone from travelling to New Zealand from NSW," the ministry said on Friday.
"It also includes anyone who has been in NSW and who plans to depart for New Zealand from another airport, [such as] Brisbane or Melbourne."
It's a decision NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian labelled, "an overreaction".
"If that is what she wants to do, that's what she does," Berejiklian told Channel 7's Sunrise on Friday morning.
"But I certainly think the response should also be proportionate to the risk."
The 5214 people who arrived in New Zealand from NSW since last Friday have been contacted by health authorities and provided with advice.
Anyone in New Zealand who has visited one of the locations of interest at the specified times should contact Healthline on 0800 358 5453, immediately self-isolate and get tested.
Another update on the travel pause will be provided on Saturday.
Information about the locations of interest visited by the two community cases is available here.
