Encouraging signs as we wait to see how far or wide, our latest Covid-19 case in the community has spread.

The 56-year-old woman was released from MIQ on January 13 - after testing negative twice.

She then travelled to 30 different locations around southern Northland before returning a positive test late on Saturday.

Her husband and hairdresser have both tested negative, with officials still awaiting results of two other close contacts.

Covid-19 Response Minister Chris Hipkins told Mike Hosking the woman followed all of the rules and did everything right.

"One of the reasons we're in a position to be able to contact trace quickly and test quickly is because she kept a very scrupulous record."

Asked if she got it at her managed isolation facility, the Pullman Hotel, Hipkins said it was "more likely" that she did.

"We can't really make a conclusion about where she got it yet. It's possible it's an ultra-long incubation period, although unlikely, it's probably more possible that she picked it up at the MIQ facility but at this point I wouldn't rule any scenarios in or out," Hipkins said

Hosking told Hipkins the Government was too soft, but he rejected that.

"No, I don't think so when you look at overall, what we've dealt with. We've had more than 100,000 people come back through those isolation facilities, we've picked up about 600 cases, those 600 cases have all been isolated. There's very little evidence that there's been transmission between people within the facility," Hipkins said.

Hipkins said they wouldn't be able to confirm if there would be any lockdown in Northland for up to 48 hours.

"Everyone wants answers, everybody reaches their own conclusions and starts hypothecating about what might have happened but we do have to wait for another 24 to 48 hours to draw some conclusions."

Hipkins wouldn't comment about any change in alert levels but said the test results of close contacts would decide what would happen next.

"The testing results from the close contacts and those who are coming forward because they were in the same place at the same time, the test results from that group will very much inform what happens next."

Hipkins said they couldn't stop Kiwis who lived overseas coming home.

"I think it's too early to draw conclusions and I think we do need to take a breath and find out what has happened here ... but the woman here has followed all the rules and done everything right."

Hosking said that was just luck and what happened if the next person didn't do that.

"Well that's one of the reasons why we're asking people to do that, it is important, it does matter and one of the reasons why we have the freedom ... that we have at the moment," Hipkins replied.

Asked what the woman was doing overseas, Hipkins wouldn't say, but he did rule out that she had not been on holiday.