New Zealand identified its first case of community spread of COVID-19 since November on Sunday, after a 56-year-old woman tested positive for the coronavirus strain that is believed to have originated in South Africa.
Announced employees that the woman had tested positive for COVID-19 after leaving her mandatory isolation two weeks after her return from Europe to the country on December 30 to work.
Before leaving the quarantine facility in Auckland, the woman had two negative tests for the virus, said COVID-19 response minister Chris Hipkins, according to Reuters.
Authorities said they believed the woman had contracted someone else’s most contagious strain in the isolation facility. Hipkins said officials were examining whether the virus could have spread to ventilation and air conditioning systems.
The authorities found 15 contacts close to the woman, and the closest contacts, her husband and hairdresser, had a negative result. The test results for the rest of the contacts were expected to return on Monday, The Guardian reported.
New Zealand last documented a community broadcast of COVID-19 in November, Reuters reported citing the Ministry of Health website.
The country is known for having one of the most rigid responses to the pandemic and has recorded 2,283 cases and 25 deaths, according to data from the Johns Hopkins University.
Community transmission occurs when several variants of the coronavirus are spreading around the world, including a strain considered more contagious, originally discovered in the United Kingdom. The South African variant that is 50% more infectious has been found in at least 20 countries.
US President Biden is expected to banning non-american citizens who have visited South Africa in the past two weeks since entering and restoring restrictions against travelers from several countries, including the United Kingdom