Sunday, New Zealand health authorities announced that a new COVID-19 case had been reported in the country for the first time since Nov. 18. The new case involved a 56-year-old woman who had recently returned from Europe. 

The authorities began tracking everyone who had come into contact with her, upon discovering that the woman and her husband travelled around south Northland, visiting around 30 locations.

Health Secretary Chris Hipkins said in a press conference “It is too early to speculate on what our [government] response should be. We don’t have the relevant information to make those decisions yet.”

“There is absolutely no need for any panic buying or any of that kind of behavior.”

The woman returned to New Zealand on Dec. 30, after spending four months in Europe. She was discharged from the institutional quarantine in Auckland on Jan. 13.

The Director-General of health Ashley Bloomfield said the woman had undergone two COVID-19 tests during the quarantine period, which came back negative. 

The authorities are working to confirm whether the woman contracted the virus while she was in hotel-quarantine.

Since the beginning of the pandemic, New Zealand has confirmed a total of 2,283 COVID-19 cases and 25 deaths.