New Zealand health officials are investigating one new community case of COVID-19.

The case is located in Auckland and the source of infection is yet to be established.

Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern rushed back to the capital Wellington from Auckland to attend the cabinet meeting on next steps, state broadcaster TVNZ reported.

Ms Ardern is expected to provide an update at 4:00pm AEST, a spokesman said.

Anyone in Auckland catching public transport or who cannot socially distance in public spaces should wear a mask as a precaution, the Health Ministry said.

The last reported community case of COVID-19 in New Zealand was in February.

Ms Ardern's government has so far managed to contain local transmission of the virus through a strict elimination strategy.

The country has recorded 2,570 COVID-19 cases, and 26 deaths.

Last week, Ms Ardern announced plans to allow quarantine-free entry to vaccinated travellers from low-risk countries from early next year as part of a phased reopening of its borders that were shut last year due to the pandemic.

Ms Ardern also announced the country will also speed up its vaccination rollout with all eligible ages able to book in their vaccine by September 1.

It will also move to a six-week gap between doses to ensure more New Zealanders are at least partially vaccinated.

More than 2.55 million doses of the COVID-19 vaccine have been administered in New Zealand to date.

ABC/wires

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