Coronavirus live updates: Family-of-six fled after NZ virus exemption

Six people who flew into New Zealand from Melbourne and were granted special exemption to attend a funeral didn't come back to their hotel.

The Pullman Auckland. Picture: Facebook

Six people in managed isolation at the Pullman Auckland were granted special exemption to attend a funeral in Hamilton on June 10 and return that same day. 

But New Zealand Police were notified after they absconded.

"Four of them were tracked down quite quickly and the other two, the eight and the 18-year-old, took some time," former police commissioner Mike Bush told Newstalk ZB. 

The Ministry of Health NZ said four members of the family returned but "a teenager and child did not".

"The child was returned to the hotel-managed isolation and quarantine facility in Auckland," the ministry told the New Zealand Herald. 

"The teenager remains in self-isolation at a family property. The teenager in self-isolation in Hamilton has had a COVID-19 test and tested negative.

"The five family members' request to join the teenager has been declined and they will complete their isolation at the managed isolation and quarantine facility in Auckland."

Those five will be tested again on Thursday – day 12 of their stay.

Earlier, NZ Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern ordered the military to oversee the country’s border controls after a bungle that allowed two people with the coronavirus to leave quarantine.

A 24-day run with no new cases was broken yesterday when it emerged two women who recently arrived from Britain were allowed out of quarantine early without being tested for the virus, even though one had mild symptoms.

The pair were eventually swabbed and proved to be infected, but only after they made a 650-kilometre road trip from Auckland to Wellington to see a dying relative.

All compassionate exemptions from managed isolation in New Zealand have been suspended.

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Australia has recorded 7370 coronavirus cases overall, with 3135 in NSW, 1762 in Victoria, 1066 in Queensland, 602 in Western Australia, 440 in South Australia, 228 in Tasmania, 108 in the ACT, and 29 in the Northern Territory. 

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