New Zealand reported three new COVID-19 cases on Thursday, bringing the total active cases in the country to 13, according to the Ministry of Health.

The new cases included two in Christchurch and one in Rotorua.

During a press briefing, Director-General of Health Ashley Bloomfield said that the Rotorua case was a woman in her 30s who arrived from Peru andveryone who was on the bus with her is being followed up.

The two Christchurch cases were a man in his 70s and a man in his 30s who arrived from India on June 20 on the same flight.

They were tested positive for COVID-19 on the routine testing on the third day of their isolation, Bloomfield said.

The new infections are a set back to New Zealand, which lifted all social and economic restrictions except border controls last week, declaring it had no new or active cases of the coronavirus, one of the first countries in the world to return to pre-pandemic normality.

Earlier, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern had warned that new cases may come up in the future as New Zealanders return home, and some others were allowed in under special conditions.

On Wednesday, Ardern has described the emergence of the two COVID-19 cases “an unacceptable failure of the system”, while Bloomfield said that it was “a slip up in the process”.

The total number of confirmed cases in New Zealand reached 1,169, Bloomfield said.

The number of COVID-19 related deaths in New Zealand was 22, according to the Ministry.

New Zealand reported three new COVID-19 cases on Thursday, bringing the total active cases in the country to 13, according to the Ministry of Health.

The new cases included two in Christchurch and one in Rotorua.

During a press briefing, Director-General of Health Ashley Bloomfield said that the Rotorua case was a woman in her 30s who arrived from Peru andveryone who was on the bus with her is being followed up.

The two Christchurch cases were a man in his 70s and a man in his 30s who arrived from India on June 20 on the same flight.

They were tested positive for COVID-19 on the routine testing on the third day of their isolation, Bloomfield said.

The new infections are a set back to New Zealand, which lifted all social and economic restrictions except border controls last week, declaring it had no new or active cases of the coronavirus, one of the first countries in the world to return to pre-pandemic normality.

Earlier, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern had warned that new cases may come up in the future as New Zealanders return home, and some others were allowed in under special conditions.

On Wednesday, Ardern has described the emergence of the two COVID-19 cases “an unacceptable failure of the system”, while Bloomfield said that it was “a slip up in the process”.

The total number of confirmed cases in New Zealand reached 1,169, Bloomfield said.

The number of COVID-19 related deaths in New Zealand was 22, according to the Ministry.