Wellington is due to enter alert level 2 after a COVID-19-infected traveller from Australia visited the city over the weekend.
Health authorities are scrambling to find close contacts after the person flew from Sydney to Wellington for three days from June 19 to 21.
The Ministry of Health confirmed on Wednesday morning the case tested positive upon returning to Australia, however they most likely contracted the virus in Sydney before their trip to New Zealand.
The traveller has received their first dose of the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine and works in a healthcare setting near Bondi Junction, which is the focus of Sydney's current outbreak.
Saturday, June 19
The traveller arrives in Wellington and visits several locations in the city before departing on June 21.
12:05am: Arrives at Wellington International Airport on flight QF163 and checks in at Rydges Hotel, 75 Featherston St.
10:38am to 11:48am: Unichem Wellington Central Pharmacy, 204 Lambton Quay
12:45pm to 4pm: Floridita's Restaurant, 161 Cuba St
3:05pm to 5:45pm: Te Papa Tongarewa, 55 Cable St
4pm to 5:45pm: Te Papa Tongarewa - Exhibition Surrealist Art: Masterpieces from Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen
5:45pm to 9:30pm: Highwater Eatery, 54 Cuba St
8:45pm to 12am: Jack Hackett's Bar, 5 Inglewood Pl, Cnr Taranaki St
Sunday, June 20
9:45am to 11:37am: Pickle & Pie café, 2 Lombard St
11:10am to 12:30pm: The Weta Cave shop, 1 Weka St
1pm to 2:45pm: The Lido café, 81 Victoria St
1:50pm to 3:05pm: Unity Books, 57 Willis St
6pm to 7:15pm: Countdown Cable Lane, 280/284 Lambton Quay
7pm to 9pm: One Red Dog, 56 Customhouse Quay
Monday, June 21
9:10am: Leaves Rydges Hotel, 75 Featherston St
10:13am: Traveller departs Wellington International Airport on flight NZ247
Later that day: The case becomes symptomatic after returning to Australia.
Tuesday, June 22
Late Tuesday afternoon: Traveller's COVID-19 test result comes back positive.
Tuesday evening: Air New Zealand is alerted to the positive case.
8:30pm: Dr Ashley Bloomfield is notified of the positive case.
11:59pm: Quarantine-free travel between NSW and New Zealand is paused after 10 new cases were announced earlier in the day in the state.
Wednesday, June 23
8:45am: The Ministry of Health releases the first six locations of interest.
Wednesday morning: Floridita's, a location of interest, closes for a deep clean and confirms all staff that worked the day the case visited are isolating.
11:30am: Eight more locations of interest are released.
1:05pm: COVID-19 Response Minister Chris Hipkins announces Wellington will move to alert level 2 from 6pm and will stay at that level until at least 11:59pm on Sunday.
2pm: Hipkins confirms all four close contacts have tested negative.
2:10pm: The locations of interest list expands to 16.
2:35pm: Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern defends the speed of the Government's response, saying contact tracing has been very efficient.
