New Zealand PM Jacinda Ardern tests positive for Covid

New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has tested positive for Covid, it emerges on Saturday.

Following the development, she will not be in Parliament this week for the release of the Government’s Emissions Reduction Plan this Monday as well as for the Budget on Thursday.

Her office announced on Saturday that she has moderate symptoms.

She has been in isolation since Sunday when her partner Clarke Gayford tested positive.

“The Prime Minister has been symptomatic since Friday evening. She returned a weak positive last night and a clear positive this morning on a RAT test,” the statement said.

Ardern’s daughter Neve tested positive on Wednesday.

PM said in her Instagram post said that “Despite best efforts, unfortunately, I’ve joined the rest of my family and have tested positive for Covid-19.”

“To anyone else out there, isolating or dealing with Covid, I hope you take good care of yourselves!”

“We’ve been isolating since Sunday when Clarke first tested positive. Neve tested positive on Wednesday and I returned a weak positive last night and a strong one this morning. There are so many important things happening for the Government this week – the release of our Emissions Reduction Plan on Monday and the Budget on Thursday. I’m gutted to miss being there in person, but will be staying in close touch with the team and sharing some reckons from here,” she wrote.