NZ Defence Force, medical team deployed to Niue after COVID-19 outbreak

New Zealand Defence Force said on Wednesday it had flown a team of civilian doctors, nurses and defence force personnel along with personal protective gear to tiny pacific island Niue to help with the country's COVID-19 outbreak. Niue, a self governing state that is in free association with New Zealand, had kept COVID out of the community having largely closed its borders in the early days of the pandemic. However, following its first quarantine-free flight on June 27 a number of passengers tested positive for COVID.