The Prime Minister is "doing okay" and has moderate COVID-19 symptoms, senior Minister Megan Woods said on Monday.
Jacinda Ardern tested positive for the virus on Saturday after her partner Clarke Gayford caught it last week and her daughter Neve tested positive on Wednesday.
As a result the Prime Minister will be required to isolate until the morning of Saturday, May 21. She will not be in Parliament this week for the release of the Government's Emissions Reduction Plan today or for the Budget on Thursday. Travel arrangements for her trade mission to the US are unaffected at this stage.
The Prime Minister will undertake what duties she can remotely this week, but Deputy Prime Minister Grant Robertson will front the post-Cabinet press conference on Monday, May 16.
Megan Woods, who was filling in for Ardern's morning media slots, told AM host Ryan Bridge on Monday the Prime Minister is doing okay.
"She's doing okay," Woods said when asked how Ardern was feeling.
"As she described on Saturday, she's got moderate symptoms but like anyone else with COVID she needs to take this a day at a time and she needs to rest up.
"Obviously she's gutted not to be here. It's a really big week here in parliament [with] obviously the Budget and the Emissions Reduction Plan and we are gutted not to have her here."
A slew of politicians and celebrities wished the Prime Minister well on Saturday, including National leader Christopher Luxon.
"Wishing the PM a quick recovery from COVID and that she can join us in Parliament again soon," Luxon tweeted.
"Hopefully it's not too intense for you, rest up you bloody deserve it," actor Robbie Magasiva said.
"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.
Ardern revealed her positive results in a social media post on the weekend, sharing a photo of her RAT to her followers on Instagram.
In the caption, she confirmed her three-year-old daughter Neve also tested positive for the virus on Wednesday.
"Despite best efforts, unfortunately I've joined the rest of my family and have tested positive for COVID 19. We've been isolating since Sunday when Clarke first tested positive. Neve tested positive on Wednesday and I returned a weak positive last night and a strong one this morning," she wrote.
"There are so many important things happening for the Government this week - the release of our Emissions Reduction Plan on Monday and the Budget on Thursday. I'm gutted to miss being there in person, but will be staying in close touch with the team and sharing some reckons from here.
"To anyone else out there, isolating or dealing with COVID, I hope you take good care of yourselves."
