New Zealand deploying nurses and a doctor to Covid-hit Niue

New Zealand will deploy a medical team to Niue as the country faces Covid-19 community transmission for the first time.

There are now 46 active cases of Covid-19 on Niue, in a growing outbreak that began on the island in late November.

According to the Niuean government website, in the last 24 hours there were two new cases, while 11 people recovered from the virus.

The outbreak has caused staff shortages and put strain on the hospital system, according to RNZ.

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The Pasifika Medical Association (PMA) and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs will send a small medical assistance team to Niue on Saturday, December 17.

PMA chief executive Debbie Sorensen said the deployment is a necessity.

“We are working closely with MFAT to respond to the needs of the Niue Government; we are looking to send up a team of three Niuean nurses and a doctor,” she said.

“We have a long-standing relationship with the Government of Niue and are committed to supporting our island nations when there is a call for help.”

Having deployed staff who are also Niuean will be of immense help to the already stretched local staff, PMA board member Sir Collin Tukuitonga said.

On Monday, December 12, the outpatient entrance to the hospital will be closed to the public in response to the outbreak.

In a statement, the government of Niue said there be no more efforts to identify the source of community transmission, and urged the public to monitor themselves for symptoms and wear masks.

“This is the first time we have had community transmission in Niue,” Acting Secretary of Government Gaylene Tasmania told RNZ last week.

“We are unable to link it back and we stopped linking it back because we need to look at containing the spread.”

Niue has a 99.4% vaccination rate, and has had 189 cases since March 2022, when Covid-19 first arrived on the island. No one on Niue has died of Covid-19.

The first case arrived from New Zealand in March from a traveller who was twice vaccinated and boosted against Covid-19. They had returned a negative PCR test and rapid antigen test before boarding their flight, in line with travel requirements.