A Danish woman who tested positive for the coronavirus in Queenstown on Friday is the first case in the South Island and the eighth in New Zealand.
The woman, in her 30s, arrived in the resort last Wednesday.
Mr Boult said yesterday he knew very little about the woman’s movements before she received the positive result, "but clearly she would’ve had contact with a number of people around town".
Health officials had told him they were doing all they could to trace those people.
"I have faith in them to deliver."
The Ministry of Health said the woman was discharged after spending a night at Lakes District Hospital, and was recovering well.
She was continuing her recovery in self-isolation while being monitored daily by health officials.
Director-general of health Ashley Bloomfield said yesterday tracing contacts on flights taken by the two most recent Covid-19 cases, which includes the Queenstown case, had changed to two seats in all directions.
Public health workers were conducting the tracing efforts and asking those who had been in close contact to self-isolate for two weeks from the date of their potential exposure.
Healthline knew the seat numbers, and was able to advise anyone on the flights whether they were considered a close or casual contact.
Dr Bloomfield said Healthline was under "huge pressure", fielding 4500 calls on Sunday, which was four times the number at the corresponding time last year.
Steps had been taken to bolster the service and to better prioritise callers with health issues.
Mr Boult said the district council’s emergency management team was working on plans for supporting residents and visitors who needed to self-isolate.
The team was particularly concerned about the most vulnerable people, such as the elderly or overseas visitors without accommodation.
"The reality for many who may need to self-isolate is that they will struggle for a support network and financially."
He chaired a business disruption group yesterday that included council chief executive Mike Theelen, its economic development manager Peter Harris, and representatives from the Queenstown Chamber of Commerce, Destination Queenstown and the Queenstown Airport Corporation.
The group discussed a "high-level view of how big the problem might be and how long it might go on for".
He hoped the Government would lift the travel restrictions before the ski season started in June.
