No New COVID-19 Cases In NZ - Ministry Of Health

New Zealand's total number of people with coronavirus remains the same with no cases reported, says the Ministry of Health.

Director-General of Health Dr Ashley Bloomfield was giving an update on the health response to coronavirus.

On Sunday he revealed the country has eight confirmed cases of the virus.

A microscope image from the US National Institutes of Health shows the Novel Coronavirus.

"The tally remains the same, eight confirmed and two probable cases," he said on Monday.

The Australian man who travelled to Wellington remained symptom free, and was in self-isolation with two family members. The Danish woman in Queenstown had been discharged from hospital and was recovering in self-isolation.

Contact tracing for people possibly exposed on an airplane had changed, with a larger number of surrounding passengers now being considered close contacts.

The people in such seats on the flights of recent cases were being contacted, Bloomfield said.

A passenger on the Golden Princess cruise ship tested negative, and the cruise ship had now left New Zealand waters.

The cruise ship in Wellington, and other cruise ships which have been in New Zealand waters, were being cleared by health officials. All ships had health staff on board them, Bloomfield said.

He said self-isolation remained one of the most useful tools to stopping widespread outbreaks. "Every situation is different, but at its most basic point, it means staying home if you are sick."

For people self-isolating after being overseas, Bloomfield said, "you can still enjoy biking, or walking, or running, alone".

There was no problem having a conversation with people who drop off food, for instance, but maintain a distance of two metres, he said.

"Yes, of course, you will be sharing your home ... but even inside your own home you can avoid close contact."

Minimise the time spent in shared spaces, he said, and keep those spaces well ventilated. "Don't share beds, linen".

Healthline received 4500 calls after the announcement of self-isolation orders on Saturday. This was four times the standard call rate. Calls were being prioritised, he said.

"Don't call Healthline for travel advice, please ... don't call Healthline about whether you should attend an upcoming event, call the event organiser," Bloomfield said.

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