Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern is advising all people who returned to New Zealand in the past 14 days to quarantine.
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern. Photo: RNZ / Patrice Allen
"If you arrived before those border restrictions, seeing out the balance of your 14 days in self isolation is the sensible, safest and best thing you can do for your community around you."
Ardern said some of the eight new people to test positive for Covid-19 had arrived back before the new border controls kicked in, which is why she's encouraging people who have come home in the last two weeks to self-isolate.
- If you have symptoms of the coronavirus, call the NZ Covid-19 Healthline on 0800 358 5453 (+64 9 358 5453 for international SIMs)
Ardern also said it was not a time for panic, but "a time for preparation''.
"We need New Zealanders to prepare - think about Covid-19 in the same way you do for civil defence emergencies.
"Prepare a plan for you and your family, think about what you'll do in situations where you might need to work from home, think about what you'll do in a situation where your family might need to self-isolate,'' she said.