Ex-boxing world champ in isolation
A former world boxing champion and his family are in isolation in Queenstown after a member of their travelling group was diagnosed with Covid-19.
Mikkel Kessler, from Denmark, along with his wife and three children arrived in New Zealand on Thursday to film episodes of an ongoing reality television show that follows their international travels.
While the family posted videos and pictures of a bungy-jumping experience on Saturday, a member of their film crew was diagnosed with Covid-19 the same day.
The diagnosis was the first case in the South Island and the eighth in New Zealand.
“We are, of course, very stressed and worried about the well-being of our family at this point, but we are going to find the bright, brave and big smile for the sake of our children!” Kessler posted on the family’s Instagram account.
Kessler added that neither himself nor his family have any symptoms of Covid-19.
Kessler competed as a boxing professional from 1998 to 2013, claiming the WBA supermiddleweight crown three times and finishing with a record of 46 wins from 49 fights, 35 by way of knockout. Kessler defeated former NRL star Anthony Mundine by unanimous decision in Sydney in 2005 to defend his WBA belt.
The family, along with the film crew they were travelling with, are now all in isolation in Queenstown while the woman diagnosed with the virus is reported to be recovering well.
The diagnosis came on the same day the Danish government recommended all Danes return home, which Kessler said made him “terribly sad”.
Ministry of Health directorgeneral Ashley Bloomfield said public health staff were carrying out “contact tracing” on the infected woman’s flights, and were requesting close contacts to stay in self-isolation for 14 days.