National leader Christopher Luxon has wished Jacinda Ardern "a quick recovery" as the Prime Minister's COVID-19 infection makes international headlines.
Earlier on Saturday Ardern revealed she'd been symptomatic since Friday evening, and returned a weak positive last night and a clear positive Saturday morning on a RAT test.
At this stage her symptoms are moderate, her press secretary said in a statement on Saturday morning.
She has been in isolation since Sunday May 8 when her partner Clarke Gayford tested positive. Their daughter Neve also tested positive on Wednesday.
"Despite best efforts, unfortunately I've joined the rest of my family and have tested positive for COVID 19," Ardern posted on Instagram.
"To anyone else out there, isolating or dealing with COVID, I hope you take good care of yourselves!"
Luxon took to Twitter after the news broke to extend his wishes to Ardern.
"Wishing the PM a quick recovery from COVID and that she can join us in Parliament again soon," he tweeted.
Luxon himself tested positive for COVID-19 in March, the day after he delivered his State of the Nation speech at his Botany electorate in Auckland.
He told media he had not been showing COVID-19 symptoms and was feeling fine.
A host of celebrities also joined in to wish Ardern all the best.
"Hopefully it's not too intense for you, rest up you bloody deserve it," actor Robbie Magasiva replied to her post.
"All the very best to you and the whanau through the healing," added actor Sara Wiseman.
"I have so many friends with it currently. I'm doing my best to not catch it. Take care...." commented model and television host Colin Mathura-Jeffree.
News of Ardern's infection has also made international headlines in countries as far apart as the US, UK, Japan and India.
'Jacinda Ardern, whose restrictions buffered New Zealand from the worst of the pandemic, tests positive' was the headline from the New York Times.
"The Prime Minister's rules kept transmission at bay for two years, and by the time the highly infectious Omicron variant hit, the vast majority of New Zealand's population had been vaccinated," its story read - noting at the end with New Zealanders "increasingly unhappy" with pandemic restrictions, we recently loosened our COVID-19 rules.
