“The publicity occasion befell on Saturday 22 January throughout flight NZ8273 from Kerikeri to Auckland,” the New Zealand authorities stated in a press launch Saturday.
The assertion added that the nation’s Governor-General — Dame Cindy Kiro — and members of her workers have been additionally on board this flight and are following the identical isolation directions.
It added that Ardern was uncovered as a detailed contact when she and the Governor-General have been in Northland “enterprise advance filming on the Waitangi Treaty Grounds” for the Waitangi Day broadcast.
The genome sequencing outcome for the case is due on Sunday and it’s anticipated to point “that the case has been contaminated with the Omicron variant,” the press launch added.
Ardern stays asymptomatic and “is feeling properly.”
All different passengers on board flight NZ8273, together with the Governor-General and members of her workers are additionally getting examined and self-isolating for 10 days.
Ardern enters self-isolation only a week after she canceled her personal marriage ceremony plans amid an increase in Omicron circumstances throughout New Zealand. The nation is on the highest “purple gentle” setting of its Covid response — and, in December, it introduced that it could be pushing again its phased border reopening plans till February as considerations over the Omicron variant grew.
Chris Hipkins — the nation’s minister for Covid-19 response — stated on the time: “Waiting until the tip of February will improve New Zealand’s total safety and gradual Omicron’s eventual unfold. There’s little doubt that is disappointing and can upset many vacation plans, but it surely’s necessary to set these adjustments out clearly right this moment to allow them to have time to contemplate these plans.”
New Zealand has recorded 16,288 Covid-19 circumstances and 52 deaths over the course of the pandemic.