One young person in Whanganui has tested positive for coronavirus without a clear link to the source of the infection.

Photo: AFP

The person in their 20s has not travelled overseas, and does not have any known links to the region's other seven cases, who have all recovered.

The Whanganui District Health Board said it is still investigating how the person got the virus.

The Medical Officer of Health Dr Patrick O'Connor said in a statement that the person's household members have been tested.

The DHB says the case shows the country must be as vigilant as ever.

Earlier this week, Director General of Health Dr Ashley Bloomfield said that the Whanganui region had a lower than average rate of testing for Covid-19 and he encouraged all district health boards to have a low threshold for testing, and to test anyone "with respiratory symptoms, whether upper respiratory, which could just be a sore throat or runny nose".