Radio and media personality Jay-Jay Feeney has been personally affected by the coronavirus outbreak, revealing she has lost a family member to the illness.
Feeney opened up about the outbreak it if being too close to home, saying a cousin of hers living in Denmark has died.
"It's funny how you take something more seriously when it personally affects you... My cousin in Denmark died of Coronavirus on Friday and his wife is in hospital with it. My mum is super upset about it, and it feels so close to home," she wrote.
"It's not a joke, it's not a beat up, it's a serious situation and we need to listen to the advice we are given from the government."
Not available to comment directly, Feeney, through MediaWorks, told the Herald the death has had a heavy impact on her mother.
"I did not know him. My mum is in regular contact so she is upset. I just feel so sad for her and the rest of my family in Denmark. It really just hit home how serious the virus is," she said.
Feeney says her cousin was 68.
Denmark has only officially announced one death, an 81-year-old man.
READ MORE:
• Coronavirus in NZ: Australian traveller self-isolating in Wellington hotel after positive test
• Coronavirus: Health boss confirms NZ's seventh and eighth positive Covid-19 cases
• Coronavirus travel restrictions: New Zealand Warriors to be based in Australia following emergency NRL meeting
• Coronavirus: New Zealand's sixth patient reveals he's feeling 100 per cent
New Zealand's number of confirmed cases has risen by two today.
The two latest cases involved overseas travellers - and reinforced the need for travel restrictions announced yesterday, Director-General of Health Ashley Bloomfield said.
The seventh case was a man in Wellington, who came from Australia and has tested positive. Andre Reynaud arrived at 12.05am yesterday morning from Brisbane on Air NZ flight 828.
He was self-isolating with his partner and another family member, and was symptom-free. He does not need hospital treatment.
Bloomfield said the seventh case did not have symptoms when he arrived in New Zealand, but he had had symptoms, which was why he had tests in Australia.
He said he was surprised the seventh case took the flight in the first place, having been tested in Australia.
The eighth case was a woman travelling from Denmark via Doha on flight QR920, arriving on March 10.
She flew from Auckland to Christchurch on Jetstar JQ225, and she then travelled to Queenstown in a private rental car.
She was unwell upon arriving in Queenstown and was in hospital. She was recovering well and planning was under way for her discharge.
Asked if the eighth case had been freedom camping, Bloomfield said a detailed diary of the woman's movements was being taken and close contacts were being traced.