New Zealand PM Jacinda Ardern tests positive for COVID-19

Wellington: New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern confirmed on Saturday that she had tested positive for COVID-19.

"Despite best efforts, unfortunately, I've joined the rest of my family and tested positive for COVID-19," Ardern posted on social media today morning, Xinhua news agency reported. Ardern has been isolated at home with her family since Sunday when her fiancee Clarke Gayford tested positive.

"We've been isolating since Sunday when Clarke first tested positive. Neve (Ardern's daughter) tested positive on Wednesday, and I returned a weak positive last night and a strong one this morning," she said.

Stating further, the Prime Minister said: "To anyone else out there, isolating or dealing with COVID, I hope you take good care of yourselves."

Meanwhile, New Zealand reported 7,441 new community cases of COVID-19, 2,503 of which were reported in the largest city Auckland, the ministry of health said on Friday.

At present, the country has reported 1,026,715 confirmed cases of COVID-19 since the beginning of the pandemic.