Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern is urging more than 300 people who left managed isolation and won't return phone calls to the Ministry of Health to "get back in contact".
"To New Zealanders who the Ministry of Health is contacting or has previously been contacted in past days - particularly those who have had more than five calls unanswered - do your bit, get back in contact," Ardern said on Wednesday.
"It's a small thing that you can do as a member of our team of 5 million."
Director-General of Health Ashley Bloomfield provided an update on Wednesday of the 2159 people who left managed isolation between June 9 and 16.
There are 367 people who the Ministry of Health has repeatedly tried to make contact with via text message and phone calls - but 56 of them had invalid phone numbers and have been referred to finding services.
The Ministry of Health said 1302 people have been contacted and have tested negative for COVID-19, while 800 of them were tested before leaving managed isolation and the remaining 502 were tested after departure from the facility.
There are 84 people who have refused testing.
The Prime Minister emphasised that the freedoms New Zealanders enjoy under alert level 1 rely on "ongoing vigilance" and "responsibility from our team of 5 million" alongside "strengthened border controls".
"While our collective goal since March was to stamp out the virus and come out the other side of lockdown as quickly and as safely as we could - which we achieved - our goal must now be to preserve those freedoms."
Ardern used the Australian state of Victoria as an example of why Kiwis need to remain vigilant. In the past 24 hours, it has had 64 new COVID-19 cases and has moved to local lockdown across 36 suburbs and the border has been closed.
"It is a good reminder that New Zealand is currently a safe haven in a very dangerous world," Ardern said. "But we are not immune to what is happening in the rest of the world and we will all battle this global pandemic for some time to come."
She pleaded with New Zealanders to be kind to returnees.
"To our fellow Kiwis returning home, they now are joining our team. Many will have had tough times in offshore places and we should be welcoming them back."
Dr Bloomfield had a similar message.
"It's also important for us to demonstrate compassion to New Zealanders returning home. This is not a time for discrimination."
He said he met with Air New Zealand chief executive Greg Foran who told him some crew have been facing hostility and suspicion in their local communities.
"It's important to continue supporting each other in these unprecedented times. We have got this far by acting together and we will only continue to do well if we keep doing so."
The number of active cases in New Zealand remains at 22. All active cases have recently returned from overseas and are or were in managed isolation facilities. There have been no cases of community transmission.
One person remains in Auckland City Hospital in a stable condition.
