NZ Defence Force reports 7 COVID-19 cases

The New Zealand Defence Force (NZDF) on Friday confirmed seven coronavirus cases among its members, a spokesman confirmed.

The seven cases were all related to overseas travel and have been reported to health authorities, Xinhua news gency quoted the NZDF spokesperson as saying.

The spokesperson said the Ministry of Health has conducted contact tracing and all close contacts "have been notified and appropriately managed".

As Friday was the second day of New Zealand's national lockdown, many defence force members were required to patrol the communities to maintain the order of a state of emergency.

The detail of the seven cases was not disclosed.

New Zealand on Friday confirmed 76 new cases of COVID-19, bringing the total number of confirmed and probable cases to 368, health authorities said.

It was not clear if the seven cases were included in the confirmed national total. IANS