WELLINGTON, March 19 (Xinhua) -- New Zealand recorded 10 new confirmed cases of COVID-19 in two days in managed isolation, and no new cases in the community, according to the Ministry of Health on Friday.
The 10 new imported cases came from India, the United States, Pakistan, Papua New Guinea and Portugal. They have remained in managed isolation facilities in Auckland, said a ministry statement.
The seven-day rolling average of new cases detected at the border is four, it said.
The country's total tally of COVID-19 cases has now risen to 2,088, showed the official data. An additional 52 patients were reported to have recovered from the coronavirus epidemic, and the existing active cases total 55 in New Zealand.
New Zealand is providing support to Papua New Guinea following a surge in the local COVID-19 cases and deaths, Foreign Minister Nanaia Mahuta said in a statement.
"New Zealand is very concerned by the worsening COVID-19 situation in Papua New Guinea, and have agreed to assist where we can," said Mahuta.
"We are providing support to the government of Papua New Guinea as it identifies and responds to emergency needs created by the pandemic. PPE (personal protective equipment) remains a priority as the health system feels the pressure, so a New Zealand Defense Force flight is scheduled to deliver PPE from Auckland to Port Moresby on Saturday," she said.
Funding is also available to the New Zealand High Commission in Port Moresby in order to respond to needs on the ground, as requested by partners in Papua New Guinea, she said. Enditem