New Zealand PM Ardern tests negative for COVID-19

FILE PHOTO: Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern addresses her supporters at a Labour Party event in Wellington, New Zealand, October 11, 2020. REUTERS

WELLINGTON — New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern’s COVID-19 test result is negative, a government spokesman confirmed on Tuesday.

Ardern had stepped back from her duties on Tuesday after picking up a “seasonal sniffle” from her three-year-old daughter. She had taken a COVID-19 test earlier in the day as a precautionary measure.

Deputy Prime Minister Grant Robertson stood in for Ardern and took on all her responsibilities for the day.

New Zealand is largely free of coronavirus and has had no cases in the community since February.

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