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Visitors stand outside the Te Papa Museum in Wellington, New Zealand. New Zealanders were on alert on Wednesday after health authorities said a traveler infected with the coronavirus from Australia had visited the museum and other sites over the weekend. Mark Mitchell/NZ Herald via AP Hide caption
Mark Mitchell/NZ Herald caption switches via AP
Visitors stand outside the Te Papa Museum in Wellington, New Zealand. New Zealanders were on alert on Wednesday after health authorities said a traveler infected with the coronavirus from Australia had visited the museum and other sites over the weekend.
Mark Mitchell/NZ Herald via AP
WELLINGTON, New Zealand – After spending nearly four months without any community transmission of the coronavirus, New Zealanders were on alert Wednesday after health authorities said an infected traveler from Australia had visited over the weekend.
New Zealand has taken a zero-tolerance approach to the virus and continues to pursue an eradication strategy.
The country’s response has been among the most effective in the world, and the country of 5 million people has recorded just 26 coronavirus deaths. But its vaccination campaign has been much slower than in most developed countries, with only 11% of the population getting their first dose.
So although there were no immediately confirmed cases as a result of the traveler’s visit from Sydney to the New Zealand capital, Wellington, authorities asked people in more than a dozen sites to isolate themselves for two weeks and get tested.
Authorities are due to announce any broader changes to the restrictions later Wednesday. New Zealand has also suspended quarantine-free travel from the Australian state of New South Wales for at least three days.
People queue outside a COVID-19 testing station in central Wellington, New Zealand on Wednesday. The country has enjoyed nearly four months without any transmission of the coronavirus in the community. Jack Crossland/NZ Herald via AP Hide Caption
Caption switch Jack Crossland/NZ Herald via AP
People line up outside a COVID-19 testing station in central Wellington, New Zealand on Wednesday. The country has enjoyed nearly four months without any transmission of the coronavirus in the community.
Jack Crossland/NZ Herald via AP
New Zealand and Australia opened a quarantine-free travel bubble in April, although that bubble paused several times as Australia dealt with a small community outbreak.
Health authorities said that the traveler visited the Te Papa National Museum of New Zealand, as well as a number of restaurants, shops and tourist sites. Te Papa has announced that it is closed and will provide updates as the situation evolves.
Health authorities said the traveler visited Wellington from Saturday to Monday before returning to Australia and was confirmed to have COVID-19. They said four of the people who had close contact with the traveler were self-isolating.
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