The New Zealand Government has announced the confirmed COVID-19 community case in Northland is the South African strain.

Covid recovery minister Chris Hipkins, along with Director General of Health Dr Ashley Bloomfield, said the source of the infection is known. 

The variant is more infectious than the original strain of coronavirus.

Travellers who stayed in MIQ at Pullman Hotel from January 9-24 are being asked to self-isolate "immediately", Chris said.

The community case - a 56-year-old woman who lives south of Whangarei - was in managed isolation in the Pullman Hotel.

Officials are reviewing CCTV at the Pullman Hotel to look at how the infection occurred, he said.

It has been decided this morning to delay the release of people staying at the Pullman, he said.

Forty-six people are impacted by that decision, he said.

Of approximately 220 staff at the Pullman staff, 114 have been tested this week, he said.

The remainder of tests will be completed by 4pm.

Chris said he is getting further advice about possibly restricting returnee movements in the final stage of their managed isolation.

The minister said he had previously been advised it was not justified to ask people to self-isolate after they leave managed isolation.

Asking whether or not the number of returnees should be limited from some countries, Hipkins said "people are waiting a long time to get home."

There was an emergency allocation amount but that was in huge demand, he said, with many applications being declined.

Ashley said contact tracing on the case has identified 15 people as close contacts - 13 of them worked in retail stores and it is not immediately clear who served the case, he said. (continue reading below)

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“All have been contacted,” he said. “So far we know the woman's two closest contacts have returned negative tests which are encouraging.

"What we know so far is it may be more transmissible," Ashley said of the South African variant.

"They are not confined to specific countries.”

The woman's husband has tested negative, as had another close contact.

She left on January 13 and, after developing Covid symptoms, was tested on Friday January 22.

New forms or variants have become common around the world, he said.

He wanted to acknowledge the woman's frequent use of the Covid tracer scanning app.

"It has enabled us to follow up quickly anyone who may have had contact with her,” Ashley said.

"I can't thank the person enough...remember this could be anyone at any time.”

Chris said Infographics on Facebook had been circulated about a lockdown on Facebook which was fake. 

He urged people to only share information they knew was true or from a verifiable source such as a New Zealand Government agency, such as the Ministry of Health.