Wellington:
New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern, who has oversaw her country’s leading response to the coronavirus pandemic, has tested positive for Covid-19, her office announced on Saturday.
Ardern’s symptoms are moderate and she will be in home isolation for seven days, the government said in a statement.
She has been in isolation since last Sunday, when her partner Clarke Gayford tested positive, and is due to resume her parliamentary duties on Monday.
New Zealand enforced one of the world’s most restrictive approaches to contain the first Covid-19 outbreak in 2020, and the death toll of 892 remains one of the lowest among developed countries.
However, it has seen an Omicron surge since restrictions were eased in March, with Ardern’s positive case registering below 50,000 in the past week.
The statement said Ardern’s arrangements for her upcoming trade mission to the United States remain unaffected.
Details of the trip have yet to be confirmed, although she will deliver the launch address at Harvard University on May 26.
Ardern will not be in parliament for two high-profile domestic announcements: the publication of the government’s emissions reduction plan on Monday and the unveiling of the annual budget on Thursday.
“This is a landmark week for the government and I’m gutted I can’t be there for it,” Ardern said.
“Our emissions reduction plan is paving the way to reach our zero carbon target and the budget is focused on the long-term future and the safety of New Zealand’s health system.
“But as I mentioned earlier this week, isolating with Covid-19 this year has been a very Kiwi experience and my family is no different.”
Ardern shared a photo of her positive test on Instagram.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by DailyExpertNews staff and has been published from a syndicated feed.)