New Zealanders who have visited Melbourne in the last two weeks are urged to remain alert for symptoms of COVID-19 following an outbreak in the city's northern suburbs.
As of Tuesday, five people have tested positive for the virus in Melbourne's north. Four cases were confirmed on Monday, two of which were initially considered probable infections. The fifth case was announced by Victoria's Department of Health on Tuesday morning.
In an update, New Zealand's Ministry of Health said it continues to actively monitor the situation and remains in close contact with its counterparts in Victoria.
"Anyone who has visited Melbourne since May 11 should monitor for symptoms and seek advice from Healthline if any symptoms develop," a spokesperson for the ministry said in a statement.
Information regarding locations of interest in Melbourne can be viewed on the Victoria Health website.
Any New Zealanders who have visited a location of interest at the specified time should contact Healthline as soon as possible for advice on isolating and testing.
"They are being updated regularly so please keep checking for updates if you have been in Melbourne," the spokesperson said.
"A further update is expected to be provided this afternoon."
In New Zealand, there remains no evidence of COVID-19 in the community, although two recent returnees have tested positive at the border in the past 24 hours.
Both imported cases travelled from Japan and arrived on May 16 and May 23 respectively. The former was tested on day seven of their stay in managed isolation after presenting symptoms of the virus. The latter was tested on arrival.
Four previously reported cases have now recovered, bringing the total number of active cases to 22. To date, New Zealand has recorded 2313 confirmed cases of COVID-19.
Since January 1, 2021, 496 people have tested positive for the virus in New Zealand - 64 of which have been classified as historical infections.
To date, New Zealand's laboratories have processed 2,111,902 tests, with 2950 swabs completed on Monday. The seven-day rolling average is 3801.
For all testing locations nationwide, visit the Healthpoint website.
