Eight new cases of COVID-19 have been recorded in New Zealand today, including one in Invercargill.

All are overseas travel-related and contract tracing is underway for the relevant flights.

The other cases are in Auckland (4), Wellington (1) and Waikato (2).

The Ministry of Health's Director-General of Health Dr Ashley Bloomfield said this brings the total to 20 confirmed cases in New Zealand.

"We expected more cases and it's most important that we identify, that we we test and isolate cases and close contacts to ensure that we prevent further community spread."

He said the clear link to recent overseas travel for these latest cases reinforced the importance of the border restrictions implemented last weekend.

"These restrictions are not retrospective but I urge others who have arrived earlier from overseas to voluntarily self-isolate and, of course, be aware of what symptoms could be of COVID-19 and that they should ring Healthline or call ahead to their general practitioner for testing if they think that is warranted, and to get advice," he said.

Flight details of those affected would be available on the Ministry of Health's website as soon as they came to hand. Healthline would be advised of the seat numbers and would rapidly be able to advise anyone in close proximity to the affected travellers on what action to take.

The Invercargill person who has tested positive for COVID-19 is understood to be an employee of Findex, which is following Ministry of Health guidance and has closed the Invercargill building and sent all its staff home for a 14-day self-isolation period.

View Dr Bloomfield's latest update here: